A man was arrested Thursday on suspicion of assaulting Gov. Gavin Newsom in Oakland, California, according to authorities.
While the governor was in downtown Oakland to show support for small businesses, Newsom was “approached by an aggressive individual,” the California Highway Patrol, which provides security for the governor, said in a statement to the East Bay Times.
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“This morning, the Governor was approached by an aggressive individual,” the statement added. “Members of the Governor’s security detail removed the Governor from the situation and the individual was arrested by CHP officers.”
Multiple outlets reported the man identified as Serge Emanuel Benoit Chaumette Jr., 54, was booked into jail on suspicion of resisting an executive officer and assaulting a public official.
Law enforcement sources told the East Bay Times the man threw a water bottle at the governor.
A woman the Associated Press identified as the suspect’s sister said he was homeless and had severe mental health problems, adding the alleged incident would be “consistent with his past behavior.”
A group of journalists heard the commotion but didn’t see the incident take place. When reporters asked the governor what happened, Newsom said the man was “just a gentleman who wanted to say hello. And we all have our different ways of expressing ourselves. And he certainly made an impact. It’s the nature of life.”
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The man’s bail is set at $35,000, and he is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday.
The Washington Examiner reached out to CHP for comment but did not immediately hear back.
