A man was arrested for allegedly attacking a Republican candidate running for California's 15th congressional district on Sunday afternoon in Castro Valley, according to Alameda County Sheriff's Office.
Farzad Fazeli, 35, approached Rudy Peters at his campaign booth at the Castro Valley Fall Festival in "an aggressive manner," and made disparaging remarks about Peters and the republican party, witnesses told officers. Fazeli allegedly pulled out a knife and attempted to stab Peters, but the knife malfunctioned and Peters got into a physical altercation with Fazeli.
"We hear someone screaming, 'F' Donald Trump to the top of their voice with their hand over head and their middle finger up," Peters recalled the incident to NBC Bay Area.
"So when I confront him, we get into it a minute. I throw him down to the ground. His shirt rips off of him. He had a glass mug with beer in it and the glass broke and people were yelling and screaming," Peters continued.
No injuries were reported from the incident, according to the Sheriff's Office spokesperson Sgt. Ray Kelly.
Fazeli fled the scene but he was later arrested with a switchblade knife located on his person, officials said.
Rep. Eric Swalwell, Peters' opponent and current representative of the 15th district, tweeted Tuesday reacting to the news of the incident: "I’m glad to hear Mr. Peters is okay. But it’s NEVER okay to use violence to settle political disagreements (or any disagreement)."
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Fazeli was booked into Santa Rita Jail with charges of felony assault, criminal threats, brandishing a weapon and possession of a switchblade knife.
At his arraignment on Tuesday, Fazeli's mother Dolly Adams said her son is not violent and that he has never hurt anybody. His bail is set at $55,000.
Editor's note: An earlier version of this story included a video that incorrectly referred to Rudy Peters as Randy Peters.
