An 82-year-old Edmonds woman was arrested and booked into Snohomish County Jail Monday afternoon for a hate crime after assaulting two women who were rallying in support of presidential candidate Donald Trump at the intersection of 100th Avenue West and Edmonds Way.

Prior to the assault, the suspect indicated the race of the victims and their political beliefs were the catalyst for her approaching and yelling at them about their views, Edmonds police spokesperson Cmdr. Josh McClure said.

Officers called to the scene just before 1 p.m. Monday found multiple community members who were rallying in support of Trump, McClure said. They also observed the suspect engaging with the supporters. “When officers contacted the suspect, she stated that she could not understand why people of color would support this particular candidate,” McClure said. “The suspect was very animated and even attempted to push an officer while demonstrating how she had acted.”

According to police, officers interviewed a 55-year-old victim — identified in the police report as mixed race and from Edmonds — who stated that “the suspect had gotten into her face” about her support for Trump. The suspect commented on the victim’s attire and skin color before the suspect pushed the victim and punched her in the chin. A second victim, a 66-year-old woman described as white and also from Edmonds, intervened and stepped between the suspect and the first victim. “The suspect responded by punching her as well,” McClure said. Neither victim suffered significant injury and did not require medical treatment.

Investigating officers, who interviewed multiple witnesses, established probable cause for a hate crime arrest. “The suspect continued to show no remorse for the incident and the potential to continue her behavior toward others,” McClure said. A patrol supervisor approved the suspect’s booking into the Snohomish County Jail, he added.

“The constitution protects peaceful rallies in our community, and community members should never be met with violence while exercising those rights,” Edmonds Police Chief Michelle Bennett said. “Our officers properly determined that this was more than just an assault and arrested the suspect for the appropriate charge.”

“I’m disheartened that this violence has occurred in our community,” added Edmonds Mayor Mike Rosen. “Elections are an important part of society, and freedom of expression is the foundation on which democracy is built. Community members peacefully showing political support should not be subject to hateful violence. I’m thankful there were no serious injuries, and the suspect was held accountable.”