A New Mexico sheriff running for mayor of Albuquerque was interrupted by two unlikely distractions while onstage at a campaign event Tuesday evening, as a drone with a sex toy attached flew overhead and a man punched him.
The candidate, Democratic Bernalillo County Sheriff Manuel Gonzales, and members of his campaign issued a statement saying he was unharmed and “will not be intimidated,” according to the Associated Press.
A video uploaded to social media reportedly shows Gonzales answering questions from an audience while standing onstage at a venue when the drone carrying a sex toy starts flying near the stage, the Albuquerque Journal reported.
According to a sheriff’s office report, the owner of the venue grabbed the drone and an audience member, 20-year-old Kaelan Ashby Dreyer, unsuccessfully attempted to grab the flying device.
DEMOCRATS NERVOUS AND GOP HOPEFUL THAT NEW MEXICO ELECTION IS 2022 BELLWETHER
BCSO Sheriff Manny Gonzales was reportedly physically attacked last night at a campaign event.
“I will not be intimidated,” Gonzales said in a statement. https://t.co/uKDMB4gUqD
— KOB 4 (@KOB4) June 2, 2021
Dreyer then reportedly came at Gonzales, swinging his fist and calling him a “tyrant.” A deputy reportedly wrote that Dreyer punched the sheriff’s hands and was then escorted away by deputies, according to a police report obtained by the Washington Examiner.
Gonzales addressed the incident during a Wednesday news conference. He said he believed Dreyer was with several companions and witnessed someone standing on the other side of a fence, adding that he believed that person was piloting the drone.
The sheriff also addressed the incident in a video statement, calling the event “a huge success despite the efforts of a few troublemakers.”
On Wednesday, Gonzales suggested the drone may have been sent by the rival campaign of incumbent Democratic Mayor Tim Keller.
Keller’s campaign condemned the stunt as “disruptive, rude and immature” and denied involvement in the incident.
Dreyer told the Albuquerque Journal he was not working for Keller’s campaign and said he is not a fan of the incumbent mayor.
The 20-year-old was charged with petty misdemeanor battery and misdemeanor resisting, evading, or obstructing an officer.
One deputy at the scene reported Dreyer alleged he did not intend to hit Gonzales, adding that he was upset by the way Gonzales answered a question and meant to swing his first through the air.
Dreyer has been released from jail, with his mother reportedly telling a local news station KOB4 that he was at home sleeping on Wednesday.
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The Washington Examiner contacted representatives for Keller but did not immediately receive a response. A contact for Dreyer was not immediately available. The Bernalillo County sheriff’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
