Courtesy: Hernando County Sheriff's Office
BROOKSVILLE, Fla. - Chair and State Committee member of the Hernando County Democratic Party, Brian Stewart, was arrested on Saturday on charges of battery.
The backstory:
According to the Hernando County Sheriff's Office, Stewart was booked Saturday afternoon, and released a couple of hours later after posting a $1,000 bond.
The Republican Party of Florida is calling on Florida Democrat Chair Nikki Fried to "immediately remove" Stewart following his arrest. They allege that Stewart attacked a counter-protester who was a disabled military veteran during a "No Kings" protest on Saturday. The Hernando County Sheriff's Office has not confirmed what happened prior to Stewart's arrest.
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What they're saying:
Florida GOP Chairman Evan Power issued the following statement:
"Violence and political intimidation have no place in our state, and Floridians deserve better than mere silence from Democrat leadership. Nikki Fried must immediately remove Brian Stewart from his position of leadership in the Florida Democrat Party!"
"The fact that this occurred at a far-left ‘No Kings’ protest only underscores how dangerous and inflammatory rhetoric from the radical Left continues to spill over into real-world violence. Leadership is measured by action, and the silence from Florida Democrats is deafening."
The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office has yet to disclose the circumstances leading to the arrest. Neither the Hernando County Democratic Party nor the Florida Democratic Party have released a statement.
The Source: Information for this story was collected from the Hernando County Sheriff's Office and includes a statement released by the Republican Party of Florida.