MINNEAPOLIS — Anthony Kazmierczak was sentenced to 14 months in prison Thursday for spraying vinegar at Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar during a Minneapolis town hall, concluding the case with a deal reached by prosecutors.
Kazmierczak received the sentence nearly eight months after the Jan. 27 assault. The incident unfolded as Minneapolis-St. Paul faced an immigration crackdown that sparked angry protests, arrests and the deaths of two U.S. citizens. Prosecutors had urged the court to impose the 14-month term.
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At an earlier hearing, Kazmierczak, who is in his mid-50s, struggled to account for what he had done.
“It’s fuzzy,” he told U.S. District Judge Joan N. Ericksen when she asked what he remembered.
Witnesses said Kazmierczak suddenly rose from the audience, aimed a syringe at Omar and sprayed her while declaring that she was “splitting Minnesota apart.” Omar’s security officers immediately forced him to the ground before turning him over to police, who arrested him.
Omar was unharmed and resumed the town hall after the arrest.
“I’m sorry if I scared you,” Kazmierczak later wrote to Omar, taking responsibility for the incident.
Investigators determined that the liquid was a mixture of water and apple cider vinegar. Federal prosecutors charged Kazmierczak with assaulting a U.S. officer.
In a sentencing memorandum filed with the court, prosecutors said Kazmierczak had messaged at least three people before the event, signaling that he intended to do something involving Omar “but would not answer their questions about his intent.”
He also contacted a neighbor about caring for his dog and reached out to contacts at a bail bond company.
The government’s memo said Kazmierczak had a longstanding struggle with alcohol abuse and “a history of mental and emotional health concerns.” It also cited a series of health problems connected to his 2022 diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease.
Omar, a refugee from Somalia, has for years faced attacks from President Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric. After her election seven years ago, Trump said she should “go back” to her home country. He has also called her “garbage” and said she should be investigated.
In social media posts, Kazmierczak criticized former President Joe Biden and called Democrats “angry and liars.” Trump wants the United States to be “stronger and more prosperous,” he wrote.
The assault occurred during Operation Metro Surge, an immigration enforcement campaign in which more than 2,000 officers swept through the Twin Cities. The operation triggered angry protests and arrests and was followed by the deaths of two U.S. citizens.
