An altercation outside a local GOP district meeting in Gilbert has sparked a police investigation. FOX 10 reports that the incident, captured on surveillance video on July 15, shows two men having a heated exchange that escalates to a physical confrontation. The police were called to the scene near the Redeemer Bible Church, where the meeting of GOP Legislative District 14 was being held.
According to the footage obtained by FOX 10, a man, identified by LD-14 chair Andrew Adams as Nate Hunsaker, husband of candidate Lalani Hunsaker, is seen stepping forward to make what seems like head contact with another individual. While Nate Hunsaker did not respond to requests for comment, a statement from Lalani Hunsaker’s campaign denied any violence, noting, "Andrew Adams did forcefully remove my husband and a number of our supporters from the LD-14 meeting last night. However, under no circumstance did anyone physically attack him in any way."
Allsides matched the landscape shown in the video to the Redeemer Bible Church location, confirming the link to the GOP meeting place. The tension seemed to arise following comments made by Laurin Hendrix, an incumbent Arizona House seat candidate, which were potentially misconstrued by the Hunsakers. In an attempt to de-escalate tensions, bystanders intervened soon after the apparent headbutt.
In the wake of the incident, Laurin Hendrix issued a statement that partially says, as obtained by FOX 10, "I am calling on the judicial authorities to make it clear that violence will not be accepted or overlooked in Arizona. I trust that they will do what is right within the bounds of law." Specific details on what preceded the altercation remain unclear, while both the police report and body camera footage are still pending release.
