Man Denies Assault After Rushing Ohio Governor Candidate

Mahoning County Prosecutor Lynn Maro defended her office's decision not to seek felony charges, saying Havas never made physical contact with Acton and never unholstered a weapon. "He appeared in that tent wanting to ask questions," Maro told the judge, noting that law enforcement got consent for full access to his cellphone and "found no threats."

Maro said video from Havas' own phone "shows him walking into the tent, recording, and moving forward, calling out her name." She added: "All he got out was Dr. Acton, Dr. Acton." Ohio's open-carry law allows adults to carry a firearm without a permit so long as it is not concealed, and Maro told reporters there were no charges that fit "for simply possession of those weapons."

"We're not going to let emotions take over," Maro said. "We're going to follow the evidence. We're going to follow the facts, and that's how we're going to prosecute."

Former U.S. Rep. John Boccieri, a Democrat now running for the Ohio House, said he was within an arm's length of Acton and that Havas got "within feet" of her. He called it "an aggressive move from a very large man" and said Havas was yelling, "Dr. Acton! Dr. Acton!" When troopers grabbed him, Boccieri said, Havas told them, "I was just trying to ask a question."

Addie Bullock, a spokeswoman for the Acton campaign, said after the hearing that Acton and her husband were "grateful to see the rule of law upheld" and extended their "continued appreciation to law enforcement."

Havas' attorney, J. Gerald Ingram, told the court his client has lived with his mother in Canfield for 30 years and is not a flight risk. "He really has nowhere to go," Ingram said. He declined to comment afterward.

Ramaswamy's campaign called the incident unacceptable.