Republican nominee for NY governor attacked on stage at campaign event [Video]

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Rep. Lee Zeldin, the GOP gubernatorial candidate for New York, was attacked on stage at a campaign event on Thursday.
• Zeldin was making a speech in a suburb of Rochester when a man climbed on stage with a stabbing weapon.
• Zeldin said he was able to grab the attacker’s wrist to “stop him for a few moments until others tackled him.”

Rep. Lee Zeldin, the Republican nominee for New York governor, was attacked at a campaign rally on Thursday. Authorities confirmed the lawmaker was not injured and no one else was harmed in the assault in Perinton, Monroe County.

In a statement, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said early Friday that a man was charged with second-degree attempted assault after he climbed on stage at the campaign event carrying “a weapon in his hand. The suspect “swung it towards Zeldin’s neck, and told him, ‘You’re done.’”

The suspect was identified as David Jakubonis, 43, of Fairport, Monroe County. He was taken into custody before being “arraigned in Perinton Town Court and released on his own recognizance.”

Zeldin tweeted about the incident late Thursday, saying he was able to grab the attacker’s wrist to “stop him for a few moments until others tackled him.”

A video shows Zeldin was on stage giving a speech when the attack happened.

Zeldin and his campaign team praised running mate, Alison Esposito, a former New York Police Department Deputy Inspector, for “quickly” jumping in to help tackle the attacker.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, Zeldin’s Democratic rival, tweeted that she’s relieved that Zeldin was not hurt and the suspect was in custody.

“I condemn this violent behavior in the strongest terms possible — it has no place in New York,” Hochul said.

Zeldin, a Trump ally, has pledged to be tough on crime if he becomes New York’s first Republican governor in some 15 years. He said he’s “as resolute as ever to do my part to make NY safe again.”

Source: NBC News