“I’m fine,” Zeldin said in a statement after the incident Thursday. “Luckily, I was able to grab his wrist and stop him for a few moments until others tackled him.” David Yakubonis, 43, was taken into custody and released, a Monroe County sheriff’s spokesman said. It is unclear whether Jakubonis has an attorney who can speak on his behalf. A message seeking comment was left at a number listed for Jakubonis. Jakubonis is an Army veteran who deployed to Iraq in 2009 as a medical lab technician. The incident occurred as Zeldin, who is challenging incumbent Democratic Gov. Kathy Hotchul this November, was addressing a Veterans of Foreign Wars post in the town of Perrinton, outside Rochester. The attacker climbed onto a low stage where the congressman spoke to a crowd of dozens, surrounded by hay bales and American flags. Videos taken by people in the audience showed Jakubonis approaching Zeldin saying, “You’re done,” then trying to grab him, bringing a pointed object shaped like a cat’s head toward Zeldin’s neck as he reached for the deputy. Photos of the item suggest it was a key ring meant to be worn on the knuckles for self-defense. Jacob Murphy, a spokesman for Zeldin’s congressional office, said Friday that Zeldin had a minor scratch from the incident. He said Zeldin had not received any specific threats recently. Asked about security at the event, Murphy said: “Congressman Zeldin had private security at the event and law enforcement was on the scene within minutes. Security will be increased from our first event this morning.” Among those who helped subdue the assailant was Zeldin’s running mate, former NYPD Deputy Superintendent Alison Esposito. In a statement, Hochul condemned the attack and said she was “relieved to hear that MP Zeldin was not injured and that the suspect is in custody.” New York Republican State Committee Chairman Nick Langworthy called on Hotchul to issue a security detail for Zeldin to protect him on the campaign trail. “This could have gone a lot worse. This really could have ended in a horrible way tonight and that is unacceptable,” he said. Hotchul’s press secretary, Avi Small, referred questions about Zeldin’s security clearance to the New York State Police. Zeldin, a retired Army lieutenant colonel who has represented eastern Long Island in Congress since 2015, is a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump and was among the Republicans in Congress who voted against certifying the 2020 election. He has focused his campaign on fighting crime, but faces an uphill battle against Hochul. He will need to win over independent voters — who outnumber Republicans in the state — as well as Democrats to win the general election. Democrats are expected to focus on Zeldin’s vocal defense of Trump both during his impeachment and during objections to the election results.
Associated Press reporter Karen Matthews contributed to this report.
