A person carrying a pro-Trump hat repeatedly punched an aged election employee in San Antonio, Texas, Thursday night, in accordance with police, after the employee advised him he wasn’t allowed to put on his hat inside a polling place.
The person, Jesse Lutzenberger, was booked on suspicion of harm to an aged particular person, a third-degree felony. County information for Lutzenberger point out he’s 63, and his sufferer is 69, in accordance with the Bexar County sheriff.
The incident underscores considerations about election-related violence with simply days to go till Election Day, as tens of millions of People make their method to polling locations across the nation to vote early.
In accordance with an incident report obtained by HuffPost on Friday, a deputy was dispatched to a library in Bexar County on Thursday night time. The deputy stated he spoke to a county election clerk who described Lutzenberger as carrying a “MAGA” or “TRUMP” baseball cap.
When the clerk requested him to take away it, he did however solely quickly. It’s towards state regulation to put on a hat with political messaging on it whereas voting, as it’s thought of electioneering.
Simply minutes later, the clerk advised police, he noticed Lutzenberger put the cap again on his head, and when the clerk approached and requested him to take away it once more, Lutzenberger allegedly responded with violence.
Because the clerk and Lutzenberger have been approaching the door to exit the polling place, “the suspect appeared to throw an arm again towards the sufferer,” Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar stated at a press convention Friday, noting he’d reviewed a video of the incident.
“I couldn’t inform, from what I noticed, if it linked. However then the sufferer appeared to push off of the suspect at that time. The suspect then turned and threw a number of punches proper on the face of the sufferer.”
In accordance with the incident report, deputies declare Lutzenberg “struck [the victim] on his chest and facial space a number of instances together with his fist inflicting him ache and discomfort.”
One other witness additionally advised officers they noticed Lutzenberger allegedly hit the clerk “a number of instances on his facial space” at the same time as Lutzenberger’s spouse urged her husband to cease.
Lutzenberger posted bail of $30,000, court docket information present.
It’s unclear if Lutzenberger has retained an legal professional. An electronic mail handle related to Lutzenberger didn’t instantly return a request for remark.
Throughout a press convention Friday, Salazar referred to as the incident “ugly.”
“I can’t consider something like this occurring throughout my time right here as sheriff, and I actually hope to by no means see it once more,” he stated.
The sheriff described seeing the sufferer push Lutzenberger away earlier than the 63-year-old began swinging. He described Lutzenberger as round six ft tall ― “not a small man.”
“The sufferer within the case is an aged man, 69 years of age, doing his job. He’s an early voting clerk,” the sheriff stated.
Salazar stated Lutzenberger left the library after the incident and went to a residence.
That’s the place police stated they discovered him. When Lutzenberger emerged from the house for questioning, Salazar stated he remarked: “I’m the particular person you’re in search of.’”
In accordance with the incident report, deputies on the scene reported that Lutzenberger “admitted to having an altercation” on the library.
The sheriff stated Friday the sufferer was handled and as we speak is “no worse for put on aside from some marks to his face.”
Bexar County Elections Administrator Jacquelyn Callanen lamented the episode earlier Friday throughout a press convention.
“Clearly, persons are getting a little bit bit extra testy for standing in a line, and we perceive that, however the officers are doing a improbable job, and so they don’t must be handled like that,” Callanen stated.
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She declined to reply questions concerning the alleged assailant’s political apparel, referring reporters to regulation enforcement.
An investigation by the Bexar County Sheriff’s Workplace is ongoing. On-line court docket information didn’t record details about an arraignment date for Lutzenberger.