GOP MN House candidate Shane Mekeland reported he was attacked last week at a local restaurant — and he suffered a concussion from a man he doesn’t even know.
Mekeland reported he arrived at a yet identified St. George Township restaurant Friday around 9 p.m. to talk to the owner about possibly renting some banquet space to hold a political forum.
“Some people called out to me and were asking how my campaign was going,” Mekeland said. “I gathered with this circle of friends and we started chatting.”
Mekeland said after a while, he exited the restaurant to go to his vehicle to fetch a yard sign for a young man who was interested in getting one. When he returned, a rather large man (6’+ and 250-300-lbs.) was asking questions. When Shane sat down, he handed the guy a literature piece and extended his hand to shake when the man threw a punch to his face. The blow knocked Mekeland to the floor and the man proceeded to jump on top of him.
“It knocked me cold and from what others were saying, a group of people grabbed him and escorted him out of the place,” said Mekeland. “Just before he hit me I heard him say, ‘you people don’t give a s**t about the middle class.”
After the fracass, Mekeland was helped to a chair where he sat for a while, gathering his bearings.
After they tracked the guy down (name not given due to the ongoing investigation), Mekeland said a sergeant with the Benton County Sheriff’s Dept. asked the man questions where he admitted what he had done, admitted it was not provoked, admitted he hit him without warning and admitted he hit Mekeland in the face, side of the head and the nose.
Mekeland, the Republican nominee for District 15B, said he learned there is video surveillance in the restaurant that can verify the events.
“While I had never met my assailant, the words he yelled at me before he attacked me lead me to believe his actions were politically motivated,” Mekeland said in a Facebook post. “When I chose to run for office, I expected to be politically attacked, but never physically.”
“I weighed whether or not to share this today, but ultimately I think we all need a reminder to be civil to each other regardless of our perspectives,” he said.
In response to a comment on the post, Mekeland blamed “the media and the likes of Maxine Waters, Hillary [Clinton] and Eric Holder” for “driving this behavior.”
Since the attack, Mekeland has been interviewed by the Washington Beacon, Fox News Channel, Newsweek, WCCO and the ABC affiliate in Rochester. He told the Minnesota Star-Tribune he only sought medical assistance after realizing he was having continued health issues stemming from the alleged assault.
His doctors have told him to stay away from TV screens, computers, etc. and avoid harsh sunlight while he recovers from the concussion. Doctors told him it could take at least four-to-six weeks to heal from the concussion.
Mekeland is bidding for Jim Newberger’s seat in the Nov. 6th election. He is facing off against Democrat Karla Scapanski and Independent Myron Wilson.
