The Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office released a statement on the alleged “attack” targeting Ohio Democratic Party gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton at the Canfield Fair on Sunday. The police statement wildly differs from the initial report put out by Acton’s campaign and a chorus of Democrat lawmakers nationwide.
Shortly after the incident took place around 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time, a spokesperson for Acton stated that an armed man “lunged” at the candidate and left “multiple people” injured before he was taken into custody. “While attending the Canfield Fair, an armed individual lunged at Dr. Acton, injuring multiple people. Dr. Acton and Eric are grateful for the swift and decisive action of law enforcement and are praying for the recovery of those injured,” the campaign’s statement read.
“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.”
In the hours following the alleged attack, a chorus of national and state elected Democrats offered well wishes, condemnations of political violence, and prayers for the “multiple people” who were allegedly injured. This included California Governor Gavin Newsom, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed and several others.
Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) said that he spoke with Acton and stated there is “no place in our society for political violence,” referencing his wife Gabby Giffords’ 2011 shooting. Democratic Senate candidate Sherrod Brown said he was “grateful that Dr. Acton and all involved are safe.”
Not long after the incident, police confirmed that a man, identified as 38-year-old Patrick Havas of Canfield, was charged with two counts of misdemeanor assault and one count of disorderly conduct in connection with the incident. Initial reports indicated that two individuals, both of whom were elderly and at least one of whom required a mobility scooter to get around, were knocked over as part of the scuffle.
Both “were assessed for potential injuries and chose not to seek further treatment,” according to a report from local outlet WFMI.
— Dr. Amy Acton (@amyactonoh) September 6, 2026
In a brief statement, Mahoning County Sheriff Jerry Greene stated that Havas appeared to have been attempting to ask a question at the time of the alleged attack. “I think it was to ask her a couple of questions. He was just, you know, pretty aggressive about it,” the sheriff said.
Greene further confirmed that Havas was found to be carrying two handguns and a set of brass knuckles — both of which are legal to carry in Ohio — when he was taken into custody. He further emphasized that none of the weapons were unholstered during the alleged attack.
A follow-up social media post from the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office painted an even murkier picture of the incident that vastly differed from Acton’s account. “At approximately 2:30 this afternoon, 38 year old PATRICK HAVAS, of Canfield entered the Mahoning County Democrat Party tent at the Canfield Fairgrounds using his cell phone to record a visit to the Fair by Dr. Amy Acton, who was speaking to the crowd gathered at the tent. As he was entering the tent, Havas started pushing his way through the crowd,” the sheriff’s office announced in a Facebook Post.
The statement went on to suggest that both individuals were knocked over when Acton’s security detail moved to intervene. “Dr. Acton’s security detail, which was made up of Ohio State Highway Patrol Troopers confronted Havas, and as that was happening, two people were knocked to the ground. Havas was quickly taken into custody by Canfield Fair Police officers,” the statement continued.
The department added that detectives will be investigating the case and will be filing charges after discussions with the county prosecutor. “Troopers with the State Patrol will be investigating any potential threat assessment, and questions concerning that part of the case should be addressed to the OSHP.”
Police have further emphasized that Acton was not injured as a result of the incident and have refrained from characterizing it as an “attack” or an attempted assassination.
