Kentucky man wielding pole charged with interfering with election

A man was arrested at a polling location in Louisville, Ky., on Tuesday for allegedly making threatening gestures towards voters, damaging a voting machine and intimidating at least one person from voting, local police said in a statement. 

Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) officials arrested 40-year-old Jacen Cockerell at the Molly Leonard Portland Community Center polling location after responding to a report of a disorderly person at 9:17 a.m. 

Cockerell was charged with two counts of “menacing,” one count of “tampering, destruction of a voting machine” and one count of “interfering with election.” 

When police arrived at the polling location, they learned Cockerell had allegedly been “wielding a flag attached to a fishing pole” and allegedly making “threatening gestures towards voters.” Police also said Cockerell’s alleged actions prevented at least one person from voting. 

Cockerell allegedly damaged a voting machine “by ripping off the printer attached to the machine,” the statement read. 

“LMPD is passionately committed to ensuring everyone’s right to vote is constitutionally protected,” read a statement from the LMPD.

Kentucky voters are deciding the fates of several statewide offices Tuesday, including a closely watched race for governor.