Next News Network

Police in Louisville, Kentucky are hunting for a man who punched their mayor in the face on Saturday.

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer was attending an event at the Fourth Street Live entertainment complex in Downtown Louisville when the assault occurred.

According to the surveillance footage stills released by the police, the assailant approached the unsuspecting mayor during the event. The unnamed attacker then decks the mayor with a right hook before fleeing southbound on foot from the scene of the crime.

Despite the victim being so high profile, police are still searching for the suspect and released the stills in hopes of getting assistance from the public in locating him.

The authorities have not yet disclosed exactly what the Mayor was doing at the time of the attack. However it is known he was in Downtown Louisville for a Gay Pride Month event that same day.

Mayor Fischer also tweeted afterwards, but made no mention of the attack, saying, “Awesome energy at the Pride Parade! Louisville stands with our LGBTQ+ residents today & every day. You make our city better & stronger & we pledge to continue the work that’s helped our city achieve a perfect 100 from @HRC (The Human Rights Campaign) for 7 consecutive years.”

Attacks on politicians and public figures have been increasing in recent months. Just last week a man tried to murder Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh over the end of Roe v Wade. Before that, a group of radicals tried to kidnap and kill the governor of Michigan.

While it is still unclear that the attack on the Louisville Mayor was provoked, it seems very possible in the current political climate. Do you think it’s acceptable to use violence against people you disagree with or will that destroy our representative democracy?