Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson did not take well at all to being hit in the face with a pie by a protester.
The incident happened Wednesday night when Johnson was speaking at a Seeds of HOPE dinner at Sacramento Charter High School. According to reports, the protester approached Johnson, pulled the pie out of a bag, and shoved the pie in his face. The protester also reportedly said something to Johnson that only agitated him further.
Eyewitnesses to the incident told the East Bay Express that Johnson tackled the man to the ground and landed 5-to-10 punches to the face. They described Johnson as having beaten the man to a “bloody pulp.”
“The mayor was assaulted. I was standing right there and I’m still pretty shaken up,” said Crystal Strait, the Johnson’s chief of staff, in remarks made a few hours after the assault.
Sacramento police said that “the mayor did strike the suspect after he was assaulted” but would only say that he suffered a cut over his eye.
In a tweet, Johnson said of the incident, “Appreciate everyone. I’m doing fine. Thank you to Sac PD for being there. Be safe everyone.”