Suspect in Ilhan Omar attack faces federal assault charge

A US District Court has filed charges against a man accused of spraying Democratic lawmaker Ilhan Omar with an unknown liquid during a town hall meeting in Minnesota, court documents show.

The criminal complaint, dated Wednesday, states that suspect Anthony Kazmierczak, 55, forcibly assaulted and interfered with a US representative who was carrying out official duties, a federal offense.

A supporting affadavit says that the liquid sprayed at Omar from a syringe was likely apple cider vinegar mixed with water, and that years ago, the suspect told a close associate that "someone should kill" her, referring to Omar.

Kazmierczak allegedly rushed at the Somali-American Congresswoman -- a frequent target of President Donald Trump's verbal attacks -- on Tuesday evening as she was denouncing anti-immigrant raids in Minnesota and calling for US Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem to resign.

He was immediately tackled by security guards and arrested shortly afterwards. He has since been taken into custody.

Kazmierczak has a criminal record, including for drunk driving, and his social media posts express support for Trump, US media reports said.

The attack took place three days after federal agents killed a second civilian protester in Minneapolis, sparking outrage across partisan lines around the country.

Minneapolis has been shaken for weeks by a massive anti-immigration operation conducted by some 3,000 federal agents and a protest movement against them.

The Trump administration -- facing backlash over the shooting deaths of two Americans in Minneapolis -- has vowed to conduct its anti-immigration operations in a more targeted way and to prioritize "community safety."