NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!. The chair of the Hernando County, Florida, Democratic Party who was arrested for allegedly hitting a man in the head with a bullhorn during a “No Kings” protest, said that he did not act as an aggressor and did not escalate the confrontation.. Brian Stewart, 63, was charged with simple battery, a misdemeanor in Florida, and booked into the Hernando County Sheriff’s Detention Center after the incident in Spring Hill on Saturday. He was released later that day, records show.. Stewart said he is “not a violent person” and that the man he was accused of hitting — a disabled veteran identified as Thomas Michta in police reports — was harassing others at the demonstration “in an attempt to elicit a reaction.”. “This was a peaceful event attended by many members of the community,” Stewart told Fox News Digital.. FLORIDA COUNTY’S DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIR ACCUSED OF HITTING MAN IN HEAD WITH BULLHORN AT ‘NO KINGS’ PROTEST. “Unfortunately, an individual disrupted that environment and was harassing rally attendees in an attempt to elicit a reaction,” he continued. “At no point did I act as an aggressor. I am not a violent person, and I did not seek out or escalate any conflict. I never expected that I’d be accosted or need to defend myself as I did in that moment.”. The incident happened as demonstrators in Hernando County and across the country protested against the Trump administration’s policies.. Deputies responded at around 10:30 a.m. on Saturday to the intersection of Mariner and Cortez boulevards, where Stewart allegedly struck Michta in the head with a bullhorn.. Michta told deputies he was walking through the protest when he and Stewart became involved in an argument. He accused Stewart of striking him during the dispute and reported being in pain, with a visible lump on his head, according to an arrest affidavit, WTSP reported.. According to the affidavit, video footage captured by a witness and reviewed by deputies showed Stewart using a bullhorn to hit the man in the head and push him in the chest.. After reviewing the video, a witness’ statement and Stewart’s own admissions, deputies said they developed probable cause to believe Stewart intentionally hit the man and caused bodily harm, the affidavit says.. Stewart declined to comment further, saying his lawyers advised him not to make additional public statements.. “I have many more thoughts to share, but my lawyers advise that I should defer doing so until after the case has concluded,” Stewart told Fox News Digital. “Out of respect for the legal process and on the advice of counsel, I will not be commenting further on the specifics of the case at this time.”. Stewart is scheduled to appear in court on April 27.. LATE-NIGHT HOST JIMMY KIMMEL SHOWS UP TO ‘NO KINGS’ PROTEST WITH KIDS, HOLDS ‘ENOUGH ALREADY’ SIGN. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP. The Florida Democratic Party and the Hernando County chapter said in separate statements earlier
