Man arrested after spraying Ilhan Omar with substance at Minneapolis town hall

MINNEAPOLIS — A man sprayed an unknown substance on U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar before being tackled Tuesday night during a town hall meeting she was hosting in Minneapolis, authorities and video footage showed. 

The incident occurred as Omar, D-Minn., was speaking about federal immigration policy at the event in North Minneapolis. A man in a black jacket rushed toward her and sprayed the substance, later described by witnesses as foul-smelling, according to local police. Officers and others in the audience quickly subdued the man and restrained him. 

Police said the suspect was arrested on suspicion of third-degree assault and taken to Hennepin County Jail. Omar was not injured and resumed the town hall after the brief disruption, police said. 

Earlier in the event, Omar had criticized U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and called for the resignation of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday night. 

President Donald Trump has increasingly targeted Omar in recent public remarks. Hours before the incident, he renewed criticisms of the congresswoman at a campaign event in Iowa. 

A fellow Republican lawmaker condemned the attack. “Regardless of how vehemently I disagree with her rhetoric — and I do — no elected official should face physical attacks,” Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina said in a statement on social media.