Assault On Gov. Newsom Probed: Report

OAKLAND, CA — A Berkeley man was arrested on suspicion of assaulting Gov. Gavin Newsom during a visit to downtown Oakland Thursday in support of local businesses, The Mercury News reports.

Newsom is not believed to have been injured according to the report.

The California Governor was walking on Washington Street in Old Oakland when he encountered the suspect, identified as a 54-year-old man, the report said.

The California Highway Patrol, which provides security for the Governor, released a statement that confirmed the arrest of an “aggressive individual” who approached the Governor, the report said.

Sources said the suspect threw a water bottle at Newsom according to the report.

The suspect was booked at Santa Rita Jail on suspicion of resisting an executive officer and assaulting a public official according to the report.

A woman reached by phone identified as the suspect’s sister said the suspect is homeless and suffers from severe mental illness, The Associated Press reports.

Read more in The Mercury News