Man Arrested In Attack On Rep. Ilhan Omar Booked On Felony Assault Charge

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Minneapolis police have identified the man arrested after an attack on U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar during a town hall Tuesday night as Anthony James Kazmierczak, 55, of Minneapolis, according to jail records.

Kazmierczak was booked into custody at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday and is currently being held without bail, according to booking information.

He is being held on third-degree felony assault charges, but a formal criminal complaint has not yet been filed against him.

Omar had been speaking at the event, calling for the abolishment of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the resignation of U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, when a man — later identified by police as Kazmierczak — stood up, shouted something and stretched out one arm toward the representative, as shown in footage published by C-SPAN.

Omar charged at Kazmierczak before a third person came between them and took the man to the ground, according to the video.

"Oh my god, he sprayed something on her," one person said in the video.

Other chatter following the incident included complaints about the smell and calls for Omar to leave and get checked for her own safety, which Omar did not immediately do, although she did request a napkin, the video shows.

“We’re going to keep talking,” Omar said. “... We are Minnesota strong and we will stay resilient in the face of whatever they might throw at us.”

Minneapolis police said officers saw Kazmierczak use a syringe to spray an unknown liquid at Omar. They immediately arrested him and booked him at the county jail for third-degree assault, spokesperson Trevor Folke said in an email. Police also said forensic scientists responded to the scene.

Following the assault on Omar, U.S. Capitol Police said in a statement that the agency was “working with our federal partners to see this man faces the most serious charges possible to deter this kind of violence in our society.”

Omar's office released a statement Tuesday evening about the incident on social media.

“During her town hall, an agitator tried to attack the Congresswoman by spraying an unknown substance with a syringe," the statement said. "Security and the Minneapolis Police Department quickly apprehended the individual. He is now in custody. The Congresswoman is okay. She continued with her town hall because she doesn’t let bullies win.”

The town hall where the attack occurred was scheduled for 6 p.m. in North Minneapolis and follows a turbulent weekend in the city, during which nurse and protester Alex Pretti was killed by federal authorities amid immigration enforcement in the region that has elicited public outcry for its wide scope and aggressive tactics.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called the attack on Omar "unacceptable" in a social media post.

"Violence and intimidation have no place in Minneapolis," he wrote. "We can disagree without putting people at risk. I’m relieved Rep. @Ilhan Omar is okay and appreciate MPD for responding quickly. This kind of behavior will not be tolerated in our city."

Omar's Republican colleague, South Carolina U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, wrote on social media that she was "deeply disturbed" by the situation.

"Regardless of how vehemently I disagree with her rhetoric — and I do — no elected official should face physical attacks," Mace wrote. "This is not who we are."

The Associated Press contributed to this story.