Man arrested after spraying Rep. Omar with unknown liquid during town hall: Police
- - Man arrested after spraying Rep. Omar with unknown liquid during town hall: Police
JOHN PARKINSONJanuary 28, 2026 at 3:37 AM
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Man arrested after spraying Rep. Omar with unknown liquid during town hall: Police
During a town hall in Minneapolis on Tuesday, a man charged the podium where Rep. Ilhan Omar was giving remarks, appeared to squirt a liquid at her and was then tackled to the ground by a security guard after a brief struggle.
The man was arrested and booked into Hennepin County Jail for third-degree assault, Minneapolis police said.
The department said its officers were at the town hall for the event and observed a man use a syringe to spray an unknown liquid on to the congresswoman.
Maria Alejandra Cardona/Reuters - PHOTO: A man shouts at U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar after spraying her, during a town hall meeting in Minneapolis
The incident sparked cries of alarm from those in attendance. The congresswoman did not appear to be injured.
"I'm going to finish my remarks. It is important for me to continue," Omar said, using a profanity.
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"We will continue," she said. "These f------ a------- are not going to get away with it!"
Octavio Jones/AFP via Getty Images - PHOTO: US-POLITICS-OMAR
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The disturbance comes amid tensions in Minneapolis between local officials and the Trump administration over the immigration crackdown in the city that has seen two U.S. citizens killed in shootings involving federal agents.
Shortly before the man charged the podium, Omar called for abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Afterward, she told reporters that she won't be intimidated.
"You know, I've survived more, and I'm definitely going to survive intimidation and whatever these people think that they can throw at me because I'm built that way," she said.
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In a statement, U.S. Capitol Police said: "Tonight, a man is in custody after he decided to assault a Member of Congress -- an unacceptable decision that will be met with swift justice." The department said it is "working with our federal partners to see this man faces the most serious charges possible to deter this kind of violence in our society."
Capitol Police said threats against members of Congress increased for the third year in a row. The department said it investigated 14,938 concerning statements, behaviors and communications directed against members of Congress, their families and their staff last year -- compared to 9,474 in 2024.
Source: “AOL Breaking”
