A man accused of knocking an elderly couple to the ground in an attempt to confront Ohio gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton on Sunday pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from the incident. Patrick Havas, 38, appeared by video Tuesday at a Mahoning County Court hearing to face two counts of assault, one count of disorderly conduct and one count of inducing panic. He pleaded not guilty to all charges. Acton, a Democrat, was visiting the annual Canfield Fair in Canfield on Sunday afternoon when the incident occurred. Havas allegedly pushed his way through the crowd in an attempt to approach Acton, knocking down two elderly people in the process, according to an incident report obtained by NBC News on Tuesday. Ohio State Troopers working as Acton’s security team grabbed Havas as he tried to approach her, the report said. Law enforcement officials reported finding two handguns, a pair of brass knuckles and a Taser on Havas after arresting him. Havas never brandished a weapon during the incident, according to the incident report. A judge accepted a $5,000 cash surety bond for Havas and ordered him to surrender all weapons he owns as a condition of the bond. Havas was also instructed not to speak to the media and not to have contact with the elderly couple or Acton. Havas’ attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment after Tuesday’s hearing. Records show Havas was arrested in 2008 on a charge of petit larceny. He pleaded no contest and the charge was reduced to disorderly conduct. Acton and her husband were “grateful to see the rule of law maintained” and appreciate law enforcement, said Acton campaign spokeswoman Addie Bullock. The campaign statement went on to criticize Acton’s opponent, Republican Vivek Ramaswamy. “Meanwhile, Vivek Ramaswamy refuses to condemn fringe conspiracy theorists and falsely calls Dr. Acton a socialist one moment while calling on Ohioans to use the Second Amendment against socialism the next,” Bullock said. “This is Vivek Ramaswamy: a liar, a fraudster, and Ohioans cannot trust him to fight for our state.” A Ramaswamy campaign spokeswoman, Connie Luck, said Sunday that candidates “should be able to meet with voters without having to worry about threats or violence.” “What happened today is completely unacceptable and has no place in politics, and we hope no one is hurt,” Luck said. Mahoning County Prosecutor Lynn Maro defended her office’s decision not to file felony charges against Havas. He noted that Havas never made physical contact with Acton or brandished a weapon. Amy Acton poses for a portrait at the Columbus Foundation in Columbus, Ohio, Nov. 24, 2020. Joshua A. Bickel / Columbus Dispatch via USA Today Network via Reuters file Adults can possess a firearm without a permit under Ohio’s open carry law, as long as they are not concealed under clothing. Maro told reporters that there were no charges that fit “for the simple possession of those weapons.” “We’re not going to let emotions get the best of us,” Maro said. “We’re going to follow the evidence. We’re going to follow the facts, and that’s how we’re going to prosecute.” Acton’s campaign had asked people to stop recording shortly before the incident, Maro said, but Havas was recording at the time. Havas consented to a “full search” of his phone, according to Maro. Prosecutors have video from his point of view, which Maro said does not support filing felony charges. “It shows him walking into the store, recording and moving forward, yelling his name… Somebody from his security walks up and then his phone falls out or gets scrambled, and that’s all we have,” Maro said. On Monday, during a Labor Day parade in Cleveland, Acton described the incident as a “tough day,” according to NBC affiliate WKYC. He expressed gratitude to those who helped the injured and to the state police who provided security. “I am a fierce warrior in this fight,” Acton said. “That’s exactly why I’m running. I refuse to look away, just like people didn’t look away when I was a struggling kid in Youngstown, Ohio. I won’t look away, and you refuse to look away.” Three witnesses to the incident told NBC News that they saw the suspect knock two older attendees to the ground. They also saw Acton, a doctor, help care for them afterwards. The people’s names were redacted from the incident report and NBC News was unable to reach them for comment Tuesday. They were treated at the scene and released, according to the report. Former Rep. John Boccieri, D-Ohio, said he was “an arm’s length away” from Acton and Havas was “feet” away from the gubernatorial candidate. He described the incident as “an aggressive move by a very large man.” “He was yelling, ‘Dr. Acton! Dr. Acton!'” Boccieri said. “And when the State Highway Patrol and the security team grabbed him, he said, ‘I was just trying to ask a question.'”
