An alarming scene unfolded at the Canfield Fair when an armed man allegedly pushed through the crowd and tried to get close to Ohio gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton. Troopers moved in fast, ending the confrontation before it could get worse, while authorities say the suspect had two pistols and a Taser on him.
According to officials, Patrick M. Havas, 38, was stopped by Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers assigned to executive protection duties during the Sept. 6 incident. The state Department of Public Safety said he knocked over several fairgoers while forcing his way toward Acton, who was not injured.
“Havas knocked multiple fairgoers over while trying to get towards Dr. Acton, and was found to be in possession of a taser and two pistols,” the highway patrol said. “Dr. Acton was unharmed during the incident.”
After being taken into custody, Havas was handed from Canfield Fair Police to the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office and then booked into the county jail. Records show he was charged with two counts of assault and one count of disorderly conduct, and a jail record listed him in pretrial custody.
The response from law enforcement was immediate, but the disruption still rattled the fairground. Investigators are now trying to piece together what led Havas to press toward the candidate in such a crowded public setting, and officials have not released a clear motive.
Acton’s campaign said the encounter was more chaotic at first than the later police account suggested. In a statement, communications director Addie Bullock said, “While attending the Canfield Fair, an armed individual lunged at Dr. Acton, injuring multiple people,” adding that the campaign was grateful for the quick action of officers.
Bullock also said, “Dr. Acton and Eric are grateful for the swift and decisive action of law enforcement and are praying for the recovery of those injured,” before warning that “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.”
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine later said Acton was safe and confirmed that he and first lady Fran DeWine spoke with her after the incident. He also said the quick work of troopers and other officers helped prevent a worse outcome at a busy public event.
“Fran and I are thankful Dr. Amy Acton was not hurt, and we send our thoughts to those who were injured,” DeWine said. “We spoke to Dr. Acton this afternoon and she said to share with Ohioans that she is ok.” He added, “Violence or the threat of violence at political or public events is always unacceptable,” making clear the matter would be investigated thoroughly.
The scare landed at a moment when political security is already a hot-button issue. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said threats against public figures do not just disappear because people want them to, and he pointed to the toxic tone that keeps bubbling up online and in public life.
“You’re never safe in the public eye,” Mullin said, arguing that political differences are normal in a republic but threats and intimidation cross a hard line. He said the country needs to lower the temperature, though that kind of calm will not happen on its own.
Mullin also said Americans have to protect free speech while recognizing when rhetoric veers into dangerous territory. “The American people have to realize that we do have a republic, and the republic has different opinions, and it’s OK to have different opinions,” he said, but “When you cross a line and say that that different opinion needs to be silenced — it needs to be silenced through violence — that’s where Homeland comes into place.”
Republican gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy and his running mate, Ohio Senate President Rob McColley, also condemned the scene at the fair. Their campaign said candidates ought to be able to meet voters without worrying about threats or violence, and called the incident completely unacceptable.
“Candidates should be able to meet with voters without having to worry about threats or violence,” Ramaswamy campaign communications director Connie Luck said in a statement. “What happened today is completely unacceptable and has no place in politics, and we hope that no one was hurt,” she added.
The Canfield Fair has long been the kind of place where politics, family crowds, and everyday Ohio life mix in close quarters. That’s exactly why the incident hit such a nerve, with people on the ground seeing just how quickly a normal public appearance can turn tense when security has to move through a packed crowd.
For now, the questions are pointed and simple: what set this off, whether anyone else was hurt, and how close the situation came to becoming something far uglier. Law enforcement agencies are still reviewing the case, and the pressure around public events is only getting louder as campaign season keeps rolling.
