Man arrested after Cruz hit with beer can at Astros parade

Texas authorities arrested a man Monday who allegedly hit Sen. Ted Cruz (R) with can of beer during the Houston Astros’ World Series parade. 

In a tweet on Monday, the Houston Police Department (HPD) said an unidentified man, aged 33, threw a beer can at the senator, who was on a parade float on the 2400 block of Smith Street in Houston.

Authorities said the beer car struck Cruz in his “chest/neck area” and that he “did not require medical attention.”

“Nearby HPD officers arrested the male without further incident.  He was taken to jail and faces assault charges,” the department said in its tweet, adding that it will release the suspect’s name when formal charges are filed. 

The Hill has reached out to Cruz’s office for comment.

A slew of videos surfaced on social media Monday showing Astros fans booing Cruz, who was alongside his family and friends in the championship parade. 

In one of the videos, a bystander in the parade can be seen throwing a can of beer at Cruz, who blocks it with his hand. Cruz’s security detail and authorities then look to see which fan threw the beverage at Cruz. 

The Cruz incident comes as political violence has become an important issue ahead of Tuesday’s midterm elections. In a Politico-Morning Consult poll published Monday, 8 out of 10 Americans said they are concerned about political violence in the country. 

Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) husband, Paul Pelosi, was the victim of a brutal home intruder attack last month when a man entered the couple’s San Francisco residence with a hammer, saying he was looking for the top House Democrat. 

Paul Pelosi, who suffered severe head injuries from the attack, was recently released from the hospital after spending a week recovering. 

Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) publicly condemned the incident involving Cruz, saying, “We are a country of voting not violence.”

“Don’t throw beer or commit violence against someone you politically disagree with,” Swalwell said in a tweet.

The Astros, led by second baseman Jose Altuve and third baseman Alex Bregman, defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 6 on Saturday to clinch their second World Series title in five years.