Supporter Of Republican Glenn Youngkin Punches Reporter At Campaign Rally In Burke

BURKE, VA — A supporter of Virginia gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin struck a reporter outside a campaign rally in Burke Tuesday night, leading the journalist to report the incident to a Fairfax County police officer.

Zachary Petrizzo, an investigative reporter for Salon who is covering the Virginia gubernatorial election, tweeted soon after the incident that an “irate Glenn Youngkin supporter just came over and punched my hand.”

Petrizzo, who covered the Jan. 6 riots on Capitol Hill, told Patch that Tuesday night's incident was the first time he had been physically assaulted in his reporting career. Several reporters were attacked by supporters of then-President Donald Trump at the Jan. 6 events on Capitol Hill.

After the incident near the Burke Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department, where Youngkin held his rally, Petrizzo spoke with a Fairfax County police officer from the West Springfield District Station and described what happened.

Petrizzo was standing in a grassy area across the street from supporters of Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe, who showed up to protest the Youngkin rally. He was taking video of the McAuliffe supporters and people arriving at the campaign rally when he was attacked.

The Fairfax County police officer who took Petrizzo's statement also spoke to witnesses of the incident. The officer then spoke to the man who punched Petrizzo. The officer came back and provided Petrizzo with the name and address of the man who struck him in case he decided to press charges, Petrizzo told Patch.

The Fairfax County Police Department incident report said a "simple assault" was reported by Petrizzo in the 9500 block of Burke Road. The report does not name the man who struck Petrizzo, although the police officer provided an Annandale address for the man to Petrizzo.

During his four years as president, Trump often attacked the news media in his speeches, referring to the press as “truly the enemy of the people.” Over the past five years, news media organizations have been forced to take extra precautions when covering political rallies and events.

"It should never get to this," Petrizzo said about the incident. "There should come a point where we all reflect if people are resorting to violence. It doesn't work for a democracy."

As for Tuesday night's incident, Petrizzo said he was "not too fazed" by it.

"I would hope that if this were to happen at a Youngkin or McAuliffe rally, the violence would be denounced," he said. "At the end of the day, the guy yelling and shouting, even fuming with vitriol, has the right to say what he wants. But he crossed the line in terms of striking a reporter."