Man wearing MAGA hat arrested for allegedly punching an election worker

Police say a man wearing a pro-Trump hat repeatedly punched a senior election official in San Antonio, Texas, on Thursday evening after telling him he wasn’t allowed to wear the hat at the polls.

The man, Jesse Lutzenberger, was convicted on charges of causing corporal injury to an elderly person, a third-degree felony. County documentation According to the Bexar County Sheriff, Lutzenberger is 63 years old and his victim is 69 years old.

The incident highlights concerns about election-related violence. There are just a few days left until Election Day, when millions of Americans head to polling places across the country to vote early.

According to an incident report obtained by HuffPost on Friday, a deputy was dispatched to the Bexar County library on Thursday evening. The deputy said he spoke with a county elections official who described Lutzenberger as wearing a “MAGA” or “TRUMP” baseball cap.

When the official asked him to remove it, he did so, but only temporarily. This is it is against state law to wear a hat with political messages speak about it during the vote, as it is considered electioneering.

Just minutes later, the clerk told police he saw Lutzenberger put the hat back on his head, and when the clerk approached and asked him to take it off again, Lutzenberger allegedly responded with violence.

As the clerk and Lutzenberger approached the door to leave the polling place, “the suspect appeared to throw his hand toward the victim,” Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said during press conference Friday, noting that he had reviewed video of the event.

“From what I saw, I couldn’t tell if it was connected. But at that point, the victim appeared to push away from the suspect. The suspect then turned around and punched the victim several times in the face.

According to the incident report, deputies say Lutzenberg “punched (the victim) several times in the chest and face, causing him pain and discomfort.”

Another witness also told officers he saw Lutzenberger allegedly punch the clerk “several times in the facial area,” even though Lutzenberger’s wife urged her husband to stop.

Court records show Lutzenberger posted $30,000 bail.

It is unclear whether Lutzenberger has retained an attorney. An email address associated with Lutzenberger did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

During Friday’s news conference, Salazar called the incident “nasty.”

“I don’t remember anything like this happening during my tenure as sheriff, and I hope to never see something like this again,” he said.

The sheriff described how the victim pushed Lutzenberger before the 63-year-old began swinging. He described Lutzenberger as about six feet tall – “not a small man.”

“The victim in this case is an elderly man, 69 years old, doing his job. He is an early voting official,” the sheriff said.

Salazar said Lutzenberger left the library after the incident and went to the residence.

Police said they found him there. When Lutzenberger left the house for the hearing, Salazar said he remarked, “I’m the person you’re looking for.”

According to the incident report, deputies on scene reported that Lutzenberger “admitted to the altercation” at the library.

The sheriff said the victim was treated Friday and was “no worse for wear today other than a few marks on the face.”

Bexar County Elections Administrator Jacquelyn Callanen lamented the event that occurred earlier Friday during the press conference.

“Of course people are becoming more and more sensitive about standing in line and we understand that, but the officials are doing a fantastic job and they don’t need to be treated that way,” Callanen said.

She refused to answer questions about the alleged attacker’s political attire, referring reporters to law enforcement.

An investigation by the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office is ongoing. Online court records did not list Lutzenberger’s arraignment date.