Police in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, said they identified a suspect in an assault investigation that appears tied to MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, who said he was attacked while taking photos with people at his hotel last week near his cyber symposium on 2020 election fraud claims.
A photo was released by the Sioux Falls Police Department on Wednesday in a tweet seeking the public’s help identifying the man. Less than two hours later, a follow-up tweet said police identified the individual.
No other information was provided by authorities.
***Subject was identified*** /982 https://t.co/WUpulhGOHE
— Sioux Falls Police (@siouxfallspd) August 18, 2021
On Aug. 12, Lindell first told event attendees he had been “physically attacked” at his hotel the night before.
“I’m OK. It hurts a little bit,” Lindell said. “I just want everyone to know all the evil that’s out there.”
Later, Lindell told Flashpoint, a conservative talk show, two men approached to take a photo, and after one was taken, a third man “came up out of nowhere” to also ask for a photo.
“He put his arm around,” Lindell said, gesturing to his side, adding something had been stuck there. “It was so much pressure. I just knew if I did anything, there was something more coming. And he jammed it in where it was just piercing pain.”
Lindell said he doubled over with pain but was able to make it up to his hotel room.
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“I think it was a setup,” he added, suggesting if he had fought back, somebody would have caught the altercation on camera and shared it to social media.
#MikeLindell explains the incident when somebody physically attacked him at his hotel. pic.twitter.com/upCDirdxzg
— Agent Brandoe The PipeHitter (@BYounger13) August 13, 2021
But Jeff Buongiorno, a Republican congressional candidate in Florida identified by the Associated Press as the individual who took the photo, told a different version of events.
“There was no attack,” he said.
The Sioux Falls Police Department will not confirm whether Lindell was the victim of an alleged crime but did tell the Washington Examiner of a report filed the morning of Aug. 12 matching the basic description of Lindell’s claim.
So the last day of Mike Lindell’s “cyber symposium” kicks off with him claiming he was attacked outside of his hotel and that outside forces are infiltrating the event.
“So this is this is a typical, um, insurrection type activities. This is part of the colour revolution.” pic.twitter.com/cFEMdTfKC7
— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) August 12, 2021
“Due to Marsy’s Law, we’re not able to identify victims of crimes,” Sioux Falls police spokesman Sam Clemens told the Washington Examiner on Aug. 12 when asked for confirmation on the alleged incident.
“This morning, there was a report of an individual assaulted inside a hotel room last night around 11:30 p.m.,” Clemens added. “The investigation is ongoing, and no arrest has been made at this time.”
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Clemens said the alleged incident occurred at a hotel on Russell Street and West Avenue.
Lindell’s symposium venue was the South Dakota Military Heritage Alliance building, located on the same intersection. Additionally, the Sheraton Sioux Falls & Convention Center is located on the opposite side of the same intersection.
