A police report claims that the man who is accused of assaulting a Connecticut lawmaker after a Muslim prayer ceremony first made sexual comments to the woman and attempted to kiss her.
At his arraignment on Thursday, Andrey Desmond, 30, was charged with misdemeanour assault, wrongful restraint, breach of peace, and interfering with police. He was ordered held without release in lieu of a $250,000 bond.
The incident took place on Wednesday morning, following a devotional honouring the Eid al-Adha festival that State Representative Maryam Khan, a Democrat from Windsor, attended with around 4,000 other people at Hartford’s XL Centre arena.
According to the police complaint, she was taking pictures of her family outside the building when Desmond approached her and made a sexual remark to her. After she attempted to turn away from him, he pursued her, put his arm around her neck, and made an attempt to kiss her, according to the report.
According to the complaint, when Khan drew back, Desmond smacked her across the face and let go of her neck, leading her to tumble to the ground with just minor injuries. According to Khan, she has never met Desmond.
Police said that after Desmond had stopped fighting and been taken down by two bystanders, one of them kicked him in the face. According to the report, the man will likely face assault charges. The incident is still being investigated, according to police, and additional charges may be brought. On July 17, Desmond is expected back in court.
Khan, a Democrat from Windsor, won a special election for the position in March 2022, becoming the first Muslim representative in the Connecticut House. Thursday, she didn’t respond to emails or phone calls. Leaders of the House Democrats said in a statement that they had spoken with her and that, while she appreciated the support she is getting, she also wants privacy.
Ned Lamont, a Democrat, was one of many state representatives who supported Khan on Thursday. ‘It is disturbing to me that this happened on a holy day meant to be marked by peaceful prayer,’ Lamont said in statement.
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