Authorities arrested two suspects Tuesday night for allegedly assaulting a police officer near a campaign rally for Vice President Kamala Harris.
The incident occurred shortly before Harris addressed the crowd at the Ellipse, the Washington, D.C. park where the rally was held, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) told the Daily Caller.
Authorities arrested suspects Norma Burdick and Moses Lopez after Burdick “attempted to cross a police line” near the rally, according to police.
“The individual ignored the officer’s commands,” the MPD spokesperson said. “As officers attempted to remove the woman, she began assaulting the officer.”
The second suspect, a male, then approached the officers from behind and assaulted them, police reported.
“Both individuals were placed under arrest without further incident and charged with assaulting a police officer. The arresting officers were not injured,” the police continued.
It is unclear whether the suspects were protesters or Harris supporters.
MPD Chief Pamela Smith thanked law enforcement officers for managing the crowds in a statement posted to Twitter. The Harris campaign said the event attracted more than 75,000 spectators, according to multiple reports.
“I want to thank the men and women of the Metropolitan Police Department, along with our local and federal partners, for ensuring a safe and secure environment,” Smith wrote. “Although two individuals chose to disregard lawful orders and were arrested, the vast majority cooperated fully and enjoyed our city peacefully.”
The rally on the Ellipse, just a few blocks away from the White House, served as the vice president’s “closing argument” to voters before Election Day.
Harris urged attendants to “turn the page” on former President Donald Trump, who she called “another petty tyrant” in an apparent allusion to King George III.
“We know who Donald Trump is,” Harris said to the crowd at the Ellipse. “He is the person who stood at this very spot nearly four years ago and sent an armed mob to the United States Capitol to overturn the will of the people in a free and fair election, an election that he knew he lost.”
