June 19 (UPI) — A 54-year-old man was arrested after allegedly assaulting California Gov. Gavin Newsom as he made an appearance at an Oakland pizza restaurant and barbershop, authorities said Friday.
The California Highway Patrol, which provides security for the governor, said the Berkeley, Calif., man was taken into custody around 10:30 a.m. Thursday.
“This morning, the governor was approached by an aggressive individual,” the CHP said in an issued statement. “Members of the governor’s security detail removed the governor from the situation and the individual was arrested by CHP officers.”
CHP said the man was booked into the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, Calif., for investigation of resisting an executive order and assaulting a public official.
The East Bay Times reported the man threw a water bottle at Newsom as the governor was entering Beastmode Barbershop and Graffiti Pizza in the Old Oakland neighborhood of the city during a press tour to support local small businesses.
Newsom didn’t appear injured or disturbed by the alleged assault, later quipping that “different people have different ways of saying hello.”
A woman who identified herself as the suspect’s sister told KABC-TV her brother is a homeless man with severe mental health problems. The charges against him, she said, are “consistent with his past behavior.”
