A man was arrested by Maine police after reportedly brandishing a knife and a baton at a Wednesday campaign rally for President Donald Trump.
58-year-old Peter Beitzell allegedly harassed attendees at the rally before brandishing the weapons, Sgt. Wade Betters of the Bangor Police Department said according to the Associated Press. Beitzell returned to his vehicle after the altercation to put the knife and wooden baton away. (RELATED: Trump Lashes Out At Fox News For Airing Obama’s Rally For Biden In Florida)
Man arrested at Trump rally with South Dakota’s Noem https://t.co/9I3a3ydx2m
— ABC6 News Desk (@ABC6) October 28, 2020
Beitzell now is facing charges of criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon and disorderly conduct, the Associated Press reported. He is out on $200 bail.
Republican South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem appeared at the rally. Her spokeswoman, Maggie Seidel, said that she was not in harm’s way at any point and that her security team, who were from the South Dakota Highway Patrol, engaged with Beitzell.
Beitzell told the Associated Press that the incident began when he flipped off a Trump bus from about 50 yards away.
“Yes, I was an idiot,” he said. “I was a dummy who pulled a weapon, but there were three of them marching over toward me.” He said that he felt threatened when three men began marching towards him. One of the men was a South Dakota police officer, but Beitzell said that he refused to show his badge when asked.
The Trump campaign tour that Noem was a part of has planned stops in Maine and New Hampshire.