Watch: Trump supporter 'punched in the head' by frontman of punk rock band during concert
A video that surfaced last week appears to show Mike Ness, the frontman of punk rock band Social Distortion, drop his guitar and jump into the crowd to confront a fan who had been heckling him. The lead guitarist and singer then got into a fight with the fan and 'punched him multiple times in the head' before getting back on stage and continuing with the performance.
According to the Daily Mail, the incident reportedly took place during the band's performance at the Ace of Spades nightclub in Midtown, Sacramento on July 17, and the victim has been identified as one Tim Hildebrand.
A self-confessed Social Distortion megafan, Hildebrand hailed from the nearby town of Galt and revealed that the confrontation was a result of Ness mixing politics in his music. A Republican and a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump, Hildebrand said he was unhappy that the 56-year-old was abusing Trump and the United States in between songs.
"I pretty much said I paid for your music, not your politics," Hildebrand claims in a self-recorded clip obtained by CBS13. "I stood pretty much with my silent protest with my middle finger up for the next two songs," he adds in the video.
The protest apparently annoyed Ness to the extent that the singer prompted Hildebrand to walk towards the stage and spat at him. The two then began yelling at one another, escalating quickly into a fully-fledged physical altercation.
"[He] takes his guitar off, jumps off the stage and proceeds to punch me multiple times in the head," he said, adding that he could not defend himself because the people in the crowd were holding him back. The assault resulted in Hildebrand suffering from a bruised, bloody lip, two black eyes, and a concussion.
The California native says he was then escorted out of the venue by security guards and that he proceeded to file a report with the police who were waiting outside. "Someone that has the status that he does shouldn't get away with assaulting someone," he said. "If he wants to have a talk someday, man to man, I would love that but he would have to not be a child about it."
Hildebrand is still weighing up his options and contemplating whether to take further action and claim damages. The Sacramento Police Department is said to be currently investigating the incident.