Man who sprayed Minnesota Rep. Omar with vinegar sentenced to 14 months in prison

MINNEAPOLIS — The man who sprayed vinegar at Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar during a Minneapolis town hall was sentenced Thursday to 14 months in prison after reaching a deal with prosecutors.

The sentencing of 56-year-old Anthony Kazmierczak came nearly eight months after the Jan. 27 assault. At the time, Minneapolis-St. Paul was facing an immigration crackdown that led to angry protests, arrests and the killing of two U.S. citizens by federal officers.

Kazmierczak was also sentenced to three years of supervised release, which includes no contact with Omar. U.S. marshals escorted him from the courtroom after he was sentenced.

“This wasn’t a spur of the moment act,” U.S. District Judge Joan N. Ericksen said before handing down the sentence, noting that Kazmierczak had secured tickets for the town hall weeks in advance.

“An attack on a public figure is not a political statement. It is misguided, selfish, and inconsistent with any concept of a free or democratic society,” Ericksen said. Spraying anything at an elected official “is a terrifying thing, and you knew that when you did it.”

Kazmierczak, who has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, shook visibly at times as he sat at the defense table. He spoke…

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/health