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Police: 19-year-old arrested for assaulting man in MAGA hat

A Somerset County man is facing charges for allegedly assaulting an elderly man for wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat.

News 12 Staff

Feb 27, 2019, 10:58 PM

Updated 2,123 days ago

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Police: 19-year-old arrested for assaulting man in MAGA hat
A Somerset County man is facing charges for allegedly assaulting an elderly man for wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat.
Franklin Township police say that officers were called to a grocery store on Elizabeth Avenue Monday afternoon for reports of a dispute and assault.
Officials say that Ryan Salvagno, 19, of Somerset, confronted an 81-year-old man outside the store who was wearing the hat, which is popular among supporters of President Donald Trump. Police say that Salvagno and the man had a brief argument and then Salvagno tried to grab the hat off the man’s head.
Police say that the two men struggled for the hat and that Salvagno threw the man to the ground, tipping the victim’s shopping cart over in the process, and threw the hat to the side.
Police previously said that the man was not seriously injured and refused medical treatment.
Salvagno now faces several charges, including assault and harassment. He is expected to have a court appearance March 14.