Authorities have arrested a man who allegedly tried to stab a Republican political candidate with a switchblade while shouting profanities about President Donald Trump at a local San Francisco fair over the weekend.
The San Jose Mercury News reports that investigators say the man, Farzad Fazeli, approached Rudy Peters, a local Republican congressional candidate, at a festival on Sunday and no one was seriously injured.
Peters and witnesses told authorities that the GOP candidate was manning a booth at the fair when the man approached him in “an aggressive manner” and made some comments about politicians, and then pulled out a knife and tried to stab Peters but the switchblade apparently malfunctioned.
“All of a sudden we hear someone screaming, “F— Trump, f— Trump!” a witness said.
Then Fazeli allegedly pulled out a knife on Peters and tried to stab the GOP candidate.
Alameda County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Sgt. Ray Kelly told The Sacramento Bee that Fazeli may have also thrown a mug at Peters.
The knife malfunctioned “in part because Mr. Peters was able to defend himself and stop the suspect from deploying the knife,” Kelly said.
Kelly says that Peters used a campaign sign to defend himself against the knife attack. The GOP candidate then got into a physical struggle with Fazeli, and the man then fled the scene.
“You’re dealing with a knife — a deadly weapon,” Kelly said. “Anything you can use, including a sign, would be a good option. It would provide you some level of protection.”
Thirty-five-year-old Fazeli was arrested nearby on suspicion of assault and authorities say he was carrying a knife.
“We found a switchblade knife on his person,” Kelly said. According to the sheriff’s office Fazeli was arrested for possession of a switchblade, brandishing a weapon, criminal threats and felony assault.
It’s unclear whether he has an attorney.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.