Man attacked, beaten while holding political signs at Georgia rally, police say

HENRY COUNTY, Ga. — Police say a passerby attacked a man holding political signs who was standing on the side of a Henry County road.

Police said the incident happened on Hudson Bridge Road near I-75 in Stockbridge during a Democratic ‘Get Out the Vote’ rally.

[SPECIAL SECTION: Election 2020]

Police said a person stopped and confronted a man who was holding Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock signs.

Witnesses told Channel 2′s Matt Johnson that the suspect punched the victim in the face and then tore up his campaign signs.

The victim suffered wounds to his face and head. He was treated by paramedics at the scene and released.

Photos shot by Stockbridge Councilman Elton Alexander show the man bloodied, with cuts above his eye.

Police say the suspect was arrested and charged with battery. Neither the suspect’s or the victim’s names has been released.

Jon Ossoff released a statement Saturday night about the attack, saying:

“There aren’t even words to explain how completely unacceptable this kind of violence is toward any human being. I hope the other candidates in this runoff election will join me in condemning this and I’m calling on all of our supporters to treat each other with respect.”

Sen. David Perdue, Ossoff’s opponent in the runoff, released a statement Saturday night:

“Behavior like this is absolutely disgusting and has no place in our civil society. Bonnie and I are praying for the victim and grateful for the law enforcement who arrested the suspected perpetrator,” Perdue wrote.

Rev. Raphael Warnock also tweeted out a statement Saturday night, saying:

“I am relieved the person harmed in this attack is recovering. There is no place for violence in our democracy and that is a something we should all agree on.”

GEORGIA VOTER GUIDE:

• How to vote by absentee ballot for Georgia’s U.S. Senate runoff elections
• COUNTY-BY-COUNTY: Where can I early vote in north Georgia for the Senate runoff?
• INTERACTIVE MAP: Where can I drop off my absentee ballot in metro Atlanta?
• Meet the candidates running for Georgia’s U.S. Senate Seat: David Perdue vs. Jon Ossoff
• Meet candidates for Georgia’s U.S. Senate Seat: Kelly Loeffler vs. Raphael Warnock

President Trump holds ‘Victory Rally’ in Valdosta ahead of Senate runoffs The president rallied thousands of largely maskless supporters not long after he was rebuffed by Georgia’s Republican governor.