A man who allegedly ran Rep. Max Miller “off the road” in Rocky River, Ohio, showed a Palestinian flag and threatened the congressman has turned himself in, police said Friday.
The Rocky River Police Department identified the driver as Feras Hamden, 36, from Westlake, Ohio. They obtained a warrant for his arrest after Miller signed a criminal complaint for aggravated menacing, and filed a motion for a criminal protection order against the driver.
Hamden turned himself in after the warrant was issued, police said. He is awaiting his first court appearance. The case remains under investigation, police said. State and federal authorities, including the U.S. Capitol Police, are also involved in the investigation.
“In less than 24 hours, the USCP received notification of a threat against a Member of Congress, had boots on the ground, collaborated with the local police department, and the suspect in the case was arrested that same evening,” acting Capitol Police Chief Sean Gallagher said in a statement. “This case is a prime example of the USCP’s stance towards threats against our elected officials. We will continue to have a zero-tolerance policy.”
Ohio Rep. Max Miller describes “unhinged” incident
“Some unhinged, deranged man decided to lay on his horn and run me off the road when he couldn’t get my attention, to show me a Palestinian flag, not to mention death to Israel, death to me, that he wanted to kill me and my family,” Miller, a Republican, said in a video posted on X.
The congressman, who is Jewish, called it “blatant antisemitic violence.”
Miller said on X he reported the issue to local authorities and the U.S. Capitol Police, adding, “We know who this person is.” The Rocky River Police Department in Ohio confirmed to CBS News that the incident was reported, but did not provide any further details. Capitol Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Rocky River is a suburb of Cleveland.
The congressman did not elaborate on the alleged threats. CBS News has reached out to Miller’s office for additional details.
Threats against lawmakers and other public officials, including judges and prosecutors, have risen in recent years, Capitol Police and the U.S. Marshals Service say. The U.S. Capitol Police says it investigated 9,474 “concerning statements and direct threats” against members of Congress and their families and staff last year, up from around 8,000 the year prior.
The concerns were amplified after Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark were fatally shot over the weekend, and state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife were injured in a separate shooting. The suspect, Vance Boelter, was charged in the shootings, and authorities say they found a list of names and addresses for other public officials in the suspect’s SUV.
In a post on X, House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, called the incident “yet another outrageous example of unhinged rhetoric inspiring unstable people to threaten and attack elected officials who are serving their communities.”
House Democratic leaders said in a statement, “We condemn in the strongest possible terms the attack on Congressman Max Miller and his family and are thankful they are safe. The rise in political violence in this country is unacceptable.”
contributed to this report.
