The Justice Department has charged a man who squirted apple cider vinegar on Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar at an event in Minneapolis, according to court papers made public Thursday.
The man arrested for Tuesday’s attack, Anthony Kazmierczak, faces a charge of forcibly assaulting, opposing, impeding and intimidating Omar, according to a complaint filed in federal court.
Authorities determined that the substance was water and apple cider vinegar, according to an affidavit. After Kazmierczak sprayed Omar with the liquid, he appeared to say, “She’s not resigning. You’re splitting Minnesotans apart,” the affidavit says. Authorities also say that Kazmierczak told a close associate several years ago that “somebody should kill” Omar, court documents say.
Kazmierczak has a criminal history and has made online posts supportive of Donald Trump, a Republican.
If it was an egg or roten fruit sure - something easily identifiable as harmless - but when you spritz something from a syringe - that does cross a line to me - you could see and hear the panic in the room of people understanding omar was not directly harmed but could be poisoned - that fear, the fear which interrupted and shortened her speech is what is criminal, just shy of terrorism, in my view
If its not illegal, then we’re going to go down a slippery slope of “im not touching you” style games, a line has tk be drawn and i place it here, somewhere between throwing a milkshale at someone as being a basic assult and spritzing someone with an unidentifiable fluid as being more than just assault
Literally terrorism not just shy. It was done to induce terror/fear/anxiety whatever else. Terrorism plain and simple.
Terrorism requires real violence. That term has been so watered down is essentially meaningless.
Remember the cop who got hit by the sandwich? He could’ve thought that was something more dangerous as well, even though it was innocuous.