Amy Acton unharmed after man lunges at her during campaign event; suspect now in custody
Updated: 1:12 AM EDT Sep 7, 2026Editorial Standards ⓘ
CANFIELD, Ohio —
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine confirmed that Amy Acton was uninjured after a man lunged at her during a campaign event near Youngstown on Sunday.
This comes after an earlier statement put out by Acton's campaign said that an armed individual had rushed at Acton while she was at the Canfield Fair in Mahoning County, resulting in at least two people who were nearby to be injured.
“Fran and I are thankful Dr. Amy Acton was not hurt, and we send our thoughts to those who were injured. We spoke to Dr. Acton this afternoon and she said to share with Ohioans that she is ok," said DeWine in his statement. “We are grateful for the quick work of the Ohio State Highway Patrol and other law enforcement on the scene at the Canfield Fair today when a man tried to forcefully push himself toward Dr. Acton as she was speaking and injured other attendees at the Mahoning County Democrat booth."
A statement attributed to Addie Bullock, Acton's campaign communications director, said that the Democratic gubernatorial candidate was "grateful" for the swift law enforcement response.
"This kind of violence has no place in Ohio. Dr. Acton will always stand up to the chaos, hate and vitriol that pits us against one another," said Bullock.
The suspect was later identified by the Mahoning County Sheriff's Office as 38-year-old Patrick Havas of Canfield.
According to police, the incident happened at approximately 2:30 p.m. as Acton was speaking to a crowd inside the Mahoning County Democratic Party's tent at the fairgrounds.
Police say that as she was in the middle of speaking, Havas rushed into the tent and approached Acton, causing nearby officers to jump into action to knock him to the ground and arrest him.
Two handguns and a set of brass knuckles were said to be found on Havas's person. However, Havas reportedly did not brandish the weapons or remove them from their holsters.
According to police, Havas was recording a video with his cellphone during the altercation.
Jail records indicate that Havas was later booked on charges of assault and disorderly conduct.
In a statement, Mahoning County Democratic Party Chairman Chris Anderson confirmed that those who were injured during the incident were party volunteers.
"What happened at our tent today during today's visit from Dr. Acton is reprehensible and should be condemned by leaders on all sides of the aisle," added Anderson in his statement. "MCDP is grateful for the quick response by our local law enforcement officials as well as the OSHP providing Dr. Acton security."
Vivek Ramaswamy, who is Acton's Republican opponent in the Ohio gubernatorial race, was among the many political leaders who released a statement condemning the altercation in the hours after it happened.
"Candidates should be able to meet with voters without having to worry about threats or violence. What happened today is completely unacceptable and has no place in politics, and we hope that no one was hurt," said Connie Luck, Ramaswamy's campaign communications director.
A photo obtained by NBC News showed that Acton, a physician who previously served as the director of the Ohio Department of Health during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, stayed on scene to help treat the injuries of one of the volunteers who was hurt after Havas was taken into custody.
This content is imported from x. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
Just the day before, Acton had been in attendance at the the Cincinnati AFL-CIO's annual Labor Day picnic, where she spoke before crowds along with former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and Ohio Rep. Greg Landsman.