Baltimore Mayor Attacked: Stephanie Rawlings-Blake Doused With Liquid At Community Event

Brad Ryder
July 12th, 2015 1:54pm EDT

The mayor of Baltimore, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, is well after coming under attack at a community event over the weekend. The suspect in the water-throwing assault is in custody.
As Mayor Blake greeted locals at the Mondawmin Festival on Saturday morning, a woman charged the city leader and doused her on the head and face with a large cup of liquid.
Aides of the Baltimore mayor rushed to her side and helped dry her off with towels. Meanwhile, Rawlings-Blake's security detail subdued a woman suspected of throwing the liquid, presumably water, on the mayor.
Baltimore police took the woman into custody and booked her with second-degree assault for dousing the Baltimore City mayor with water. Sources identified the arrested woman as 37-year-old Lacheisa Pailin-Sheffer. Reporters interviewed the Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake shortly after the water attack.

"I didn't know what it was that she threw at me. I hope it was water. It was more shocking than anything else."

Howard Libit, the mayor's spokesperson, elaborated on the incident.

"Fortunately, the mayor is fine. She went on and had a great time at the festival." Libit said the Baltimore mayor remains focused on the business at hand of representing the people.
"She enjoys opportunities like this to engage with the people of Baltimore. This was an odd, random incident. Things like this happen."

The Baltimore City event attended by the mayor is a daylong celebration for residents that offer community outreach and gestures of solidarity. Not-for-profit organizations and city agencies were on-hand to help those in need.

The festival comes on the heels of the Baltimore riots. The spring unrest was a response to the alleged police brutality and death of Freddie Gray. Stephanie Rawlings-Blake came under fire for the city's role in addressing the violence and looting.
New Baltimore State Attorney Marilyn Mosby was hailed a local hero when she pursued indictments of six police officers in Gray's death. They now await trial. Recently, Commissioner Anthony Batts was fired days ago over rising violent crime in the city.
Despite the dangers imposed on the mayor of Baltimore, as with any public official, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake realizes the mission for the greater good often outweighs personal safety. It's a tradeoff, but one in which the mayor took on with grace. Thankfully, she is safe from the weekend water attack.