The man accused of attacking New York gubernatorial candidate Rep. Lee Zeldin at a marketing campaign occasion has been named by police as David Jakubonis, 43.
Zeldin—the Republican standing towards the state’s Democratic governor, Kathy Hochul, in November—was delivering a speech within the upstate city of Fairport on Thursday night when a person allegedly tried to stab him. Zeldin was unhurt, police stated in an announcement.
“A male from the crowd climbed up on the stage and approached Zeldin. The male
had a weapon in his hand, swung it towards Zeldin’s neck, and told him, ‘You’re done,'” stated Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
“Members of the audience and Rep. Zeldin’s campaign restrained the male until deputies arrived and took him into custody. There were no injuries.”
Lee Zeldin/Twitter and David G. Jakubonis/Instagram
Police added that Jakubonis, who’s from Fairport, had been charged with tried assault within the second diploma and “arraigned in Perinton Town Court and released on his own recognizance.”
Newsweek has reached out for additional remark.
Video of the incident reveals a person dashing Zeldin, earlier than viewers members and marketing campaign employees disarmed him and restrained him with zip ties.
Local broadcaster WROC reported that Jakubonis was an Iraq conflict veteran who was inebriated on the time of the incident. A LinkedIn profile within the title of “David Jakubonis, Fairport, New York” states that he’s at present unemployed and in search of a brand new job.
According to the profile, he studied scientific laboratory sciences at George Washington University and prison justice at Rochester Institute of Technology, then labored for 5 years as a lab technician within the U.S. Army.
New York GOP Chair Nick Langworthy stated in an announcement: “Thanks to the swift action of several brave eventgoers, the perpetrator was subdued.”
He added that Zeldin had “just a little scrape,” what nobody would think about an damage.
Langworthy stated Zeldin’s working mate, former New York Police Department officer Alison Esposito, was one of many individuals who helped subdue the suspect. WROC reported that AMVETS nationwide director Joe Chenelly additionally helped to sort out him.
Zeldin, who represents the first congressional district in New York and is an ally of former President Donald Trump, received a four-way Republican major to find out who will stand towards Hochul in November’s election.
He defeated Andrew Giuliani, the 36-year-old son of the previous New York mayor and Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, in addition to Rob Astorino and Harry Wilson, in June.
Governor Hochul took over the position after Andrew Cuomo resigned final August.