Suspected attacker of GOP Rep. Lee Zeldin arrested on federal assault charge

[Polybius]

Source: CNN

(CNN)The man accused of attempting to stab New York gubernatorial nominee Rep. Lee Zeldin on stage at a campaign event has been arrested on a federal assault charge, a spokesperson for the US Attorney's Office in the Western District of New York said, after he was released on his own recognizance shortly following an initial arrest Thursday.

David Jakubonis, 43, was arrested Saturday and charged with assaulting a member of Congress with a dangerous weapon, according to Barbara Burns, a Department of Justice spokesperson. Jakubonis made his first court appearance before US Magistrate Judge Marian W. Payson in Rochester on Saturday, according to court documents, and the weapon involved was described in court records as a self-defense keychain.

Jakubonis was already facing state charges over the alleged attack Thursday. He had been charged with attempted assault in the second degree after being accused of confronting Zeldin, a Republican, while he was giving a speech in Fairpoint, New York. Jakubonis "attempted to stab" Zeldin, a statement from the campaign said, and the GOP lawmaker "grabbed the attacker's wrist to stop him until several others assisted in taking the attacker down to the ground." Zeldin was not injured.

Steve Slawinski, assistant federal defender for the Western District of New York who is representing Jakubonis, said in a statement Jakubonis is next scheduled to appear in court for a bail hearing Wednesday.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/23/politics/zeldin-suspected-attacker-federal-assault-charge/index.html

[Mawspam2]

1. It looks like we found ANTIFA!

Who knew it was just one guy in New York?

[Murphyb849]

2. They claim he did not even know who he was trying to attack. Was drunk.

[bottomofthehill]

3. Too bad, so sad

He attacked a candidate for office and a current member of congress. You belong in jail. If you attack your barber, librarian, grocery store worker, you belong in jail. This is a dangerous person who should be locked up

[multigraincracker]

4. 9,999 Post?

Just one more.

[Polybius]

5. I didn't even realize that

Thanks, woo hoo I did it!

[Farmer-Rick]

6. Sooooooo, why did they intially release him?

Hmmm.......

Is releasing attempted assassins on their own recognizance a thing?

[Rebl2]

7. Nobody

that does this should be released.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

8. Mayte they released him because it looked so fake

Wearing brass knuckles with pointy things, but when his wrist was held, he went down. It looked like a staged attack, ending in a flop.

A flop can be an art form ...