An armed man was arrested Sunday afternoon after confronting Ohio Democratic gubernatorial nominee Amy Acton during a campaign stop at the Canfield Fair, authorities said. Acton was unhurt, though several people sustained injuries during the altercation.
The suspect, identified as 38-year-old Patrick Havas of Canfield, was taken into custody by law enforcement and booked into the Mahoning County Jail on charges of disorderly conduct and two counts of assault.
The incident occurred around 2:30 p.m. inside the Mahoning County Democratic Party’s tent at the annual fair in Canfield, a suburb of Youngstown. According to Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Gerry Ricciutti, Havas approached the tent recording on a cellphone and began pushing his way through the crowd as Acton was addressing attendees.
Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers assigned to Acton’s security detail confronted Havas. During the struggle, two people were knocked to the ground, Ricciutti said. The full extent of the injuries was not immediately clear.
Acton, a physician who served as Ohio’s health director under Republican Gov. Mike DeWine during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, remained at the scene to provide medical aid to an injured person.
Following the arrest, authorities recovered two handguns, a set of brass knuckles, and a Taser from Havas. Investigators noted that the weapons remained holstered and were not brandished during the confrontation.
A joint investigation into the incident is being conducted by the Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office.
Campaign spokesperson Addie Bullock stated that Acton and her husband, Eric, were thankful for the rapid response from law enforcement and were praying for those hurt.
“This kind of violence has no place in Ohio,” Bullock said. “Dr. Acton will always stand up to the chaos, hate and vitriol that pits us against one another.”
Acton is competing in a closely contested November general election against Republican nominee Vivek Ramaswamy, an entrepreneur and former 2024 presidential candidate, to succeed the term-limited DeWine. Ramaswamy was also slated to visit the fair on Sunday.
“Candidates should be able to meet with voters without having to worry about threats or violence,” Ramaswamy spokesperson Connie Luck said in a statement. “What happened today is completely unacceptable and has no place in politics, and we hope … that no one was hurt.”
DeWine confirmed that he and his wife spoke with Acton following the incident, reiterating that violence or threats at political events are unacceptable and that the situation will be thoroughly investigated.
Republican Sen. Jon Husted, who previously served alongside Acton as lieutenant governor, expressed concern over the confrontation on social media, praising law enforcement’s quick action and stating that such behavior must not be tolerated.
Mahoning County Democratic Party Chair Christopher Anderson also issued a statement condemning the confrontation as reprehensible and calling for leaders across all political parties to denounce it.
Source: NBC News — https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/armed-person-confronts-ohio-gubernatorial-candidate-amy-acton-event-ca-rcna596395
