U.S. Capitol Police have arrested a man on charges of aggravated menacing for trying to run Rep. Max Miller of Ohio off the road Thursday in Rocky River, a suburb of Cleveland.
Mr. Miller, one of the few Jewish Republicans in Congress, posted a video to social media describing the incident, in which he was run off the road by a man with a Palestinian flag.
“As I was driving to work, some unhinged, deranged man decided to lay on his horn and run me off the road when he couldn’t get my attention to show me a Palestinian flag,” the congressman said. “Not to mention, death to Israel, death to me – that he wanted to kill me and my family. Thank God my daughter was not in my vehicle, or anybody else at the time.”
Mr. Miller said he knew the man’s identity and filed reports with the U.S. Capitol Police and the local police department.
Capitol Police deployed special agents to Ohio to work with local police to locate and arrest 36-year-old Feras S. Hamdan of Westlake, Ohio. He was arrested on charges of aggravated menacing; authorities said the investigation is still unfolding, which suggests additional charges are possible.
Police said Mr. Hamdan, with counsel, voluntarily turned himself in and is awaiting a court appearance.
“In less than 24 hours, the USCP received notification of a threat against a Member of Congress, had boots on the ground, collaborated with the local police department, and the suspect in the case was arrested that same evening,” acting Capitol Police Chief Sean Gallagher said in a statement. “This case is a prime example of the USCP’s stance towards threats against our elected officials. We will continue to have a zero tolerance policy.”
Rocky River police said the incident occurred on Interstate 90 and that the suspect’s vehicle left the area before responding officers arrived.
Mr. Miller filed a motion for a criminal protection order against Mr. Hamdan, in addition to supporting the aggravated menacing charge.
“I have gone about my day, I have carried on my meetings, and we will not hide,” he said. “And I will continue to fight against antisemitism, Islamophobia and all other forms of hate. You have an issue, take it to our office. You want to run me off the road, that’s a different story.”
The FBI, Ohio State Patrol and federal and local prosecutors are working with Capitol Police and the Rocky River Police Department in the ongoing investigation.
House leaders in both parties condemned the attack on Mr. Miller, which comes less than a week after a Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband were assassinated in a larger plot targeting elected officials.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, Louisiana Republican, said the attack on Mr. Miller is “another outrageous example of unhinged rhetoric inspiring unstable people to threaten and attack elected officials who are serving their communities.”
“We must turn down the temperature in this country,” he said.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark of Massachusetts and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar of California issued a joint statement condemning the attack on Mr. Miller “in the strongest possible terms” and said they were thankful he and his family are safe.
“The rise in political violence in this country is unacceptable,” they said. “This is a moment of crisis that requires Congress to act decisively in order to ensure the safety of every single member who serves in the People’s House.”
• Lindsey McPherson can be reached at lmcpherson@washingtontimes.com.