Former NBA all-star and current mayor of Sacramento Kevin Johnson has been no stranger to controversy during his eight years in office. And it turns out Wednesday night was no exception.
According to reports, the mayor was attacked with a whipped cream pie to the face by a protester at a ‘farm-to-dinner’ event at his alma matter, Sacramento High School. That seemed to be the end of it, until the protester allegedly exchanged words with Johnson, who proceeded to, allegedly, tackle the pie-thrower to the ground and reign down on his face with his fists in front of a crowd of 200, including many high school students.
From the East Bay Express:
After this, the protester reportedly said something to Johnson. This prompted the mayor to allegedly tackle the protester and punch him in the face “repeatedly,” more than half a dozen times, landing “five to 10” blows.
One witness described it as a “bloody pulp.” Other witnesses say that the pie-thrower was hit multiple times in the face and will definitely need stitches, and that there was visible blood.
Photos of the pie-thrower, a 32 year-old former ‘Occupy Sacramento’ activist, were released Thursday (included in the Express link above) that indeed show him to have a bloodied and bruised face. The pie-thrower was arrested for ‘suspicion of assaulting a public official’ and taken to jail after being treated for his minor injuries.
UFC star Uriah Faber was at the event, and was later brought up to the podium, where he and Johnson ‘joked about the assault’. As of yet there is no word on potential repercussions for the mayor.
