Man who hit Kevin Johnson in face with pie and got beat up speaks out

Published Sep. 22, 2016 9:04 p.m. ET

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The man who hit Kevin Johnson in the face with a pie and ended up bruised and battered in jail says he was protesting the Sacramento mayor's neglect of issues like education and homelessness.

Johnson was at a charity dinner Wednesday when Sean Thompson came from behind and hit him in the face with a coconut cream pie. Johnson helped subdue Thompson, who says the mayor hit him at least twice and had bruises on his face, and the 32-year-old activist was arrested and charged with a felony count of assaulting a public official.

"When I threw the pie at him, right at that moment, I shouted at him. I said, `You need to better represent me,'" Thompson told The Associated Press.

Thompson, who criticized the former NBA star Johnson for focusing so much of his efforts on building a new arena for the Kings, said he considered his action nonviolent and was surprised he was charged with a felony.

“Pie throwing was the least violent action I could take," Thompson told The Sacramento Bee.

Asked if he'd do it again, Thompson told the Bee, “Absolutely. I would do it twice.”

Police told reporters that Johnson was defending himself. Prosecutors will review the case, including the mayor's reaction, after receiving the police reports, likely on Friday, district attorney spokeswoman Shelly Orio told The Associated Press.

Johnson, who had a long career as an NBA All-Star with the Phoenix Suns, has about two months left as mayor. His signature achievement in office was getting a $550 million arena built for the Kings.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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