National Basketball Association

The Latest: Pie suspect disagrees with mayor's priorities

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 8:05 p.m. ET

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) The Latest on the pie assault of Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson (all times local):

3:30 p.m.

A protester says he put a pie in Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson's face because he disagrees with the mayor's priorities and has accomplished little with peaceful activism.

Sean Thompson was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a public official at a charity dinner Wednesday night after hitting the former NBA player with what he says was a coconut cream pie.

In an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday in jail, Thompson says the mayor punched him ''at least two times, and pretty hard.''

Johnson's signature achievement in office was getting a $550 million arena built for the city's NBA team, the Sacramento Kings.

Thompson says he was angry with the mayor for devoting so much of his political energy to that endeavor and not to needs such as education and homelessness.

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12:10 p.m.

A witness says Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson threw punches and tackled a man who hit him in the face with a pie at a charity event.

Erika Bjork says the former NBA star was standing near her at Wednesday night's outdoor event at Sacramento Charter High School when he was hit.

Johnson spokeswoman Crystal Strait says the man approached the mayor from behind, grabbed him and ''pulled him back'' before shoving the white dessert in his face.

Bjork says the mayor looked shocked and swung at the man multiple times, but she didn't see him land any punches. She says Johnson then wrestled the man to the ground, and mayoral staff and a police officer pinned him down.

Strait agreed with Bjork's account.

Sean Thompson was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a public official.