A protester reportedly approached Johnson during a charity dinner at Sacramento Charter High, pulled out a pie and stuffed it in Johnson’s face.
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Additional reports call into question whether the assailant actually spoke with Johnson before he struck him with the pie. His mugshot photo reveals a deep gash below his left eye, apparently closed by stitches, and bruising around the eye.
Thompson said the mayor looked at him for a minute and then “started swinging on me and then other people stepped in and started swinging on me too”.
Strait emphasized that it was a serious and scary situation and there was nothing amusing about it, especially because no one, including the mayor, could tell immediately that it was a pie the man was holding.
Thompson said he chose coconut cream pie in case he decided not to go through with the attack. While he admitted that he didn’t witness Johnson getting hit with a pie or the fight that followed, he said he saw the aftermath of the altercation that reportedly took place between the two men.
Former NBA all-star and current mayor of Sacramento Kevin Johnson has been no stranger to controversy during his eight years in office. The mayor, witnesses said, apologized for the incident and the audience applauded him. He has been charged with felony assault of a public official and one misdemeanor charge of battery on school or park property.
It is being reported that Johnson responded to a protester with what was described as a “bloody brawl”. He is home with his family… “The whole thing is just shocking”.
But the pie-thrower appeared to get the worst of it.
The event, called the Seeds of HOPE Harvest Dinner, was part of Sacramento’s “Farm to Fork” week and was created to involve high school students in preparing the meal.
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The mayor was interviewed by police after the incident and later tweeted a message of thanks to officers.
