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Libertarian congressional candidate from Indiana arrested

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) – A Libertarian congressional candidate from Indiana has been arrested in Louisville on a preliminary charge of third-degree assault of a police officer after an alleged struggle over his phone during a traffic stop.

Forty-five-year-old Russell Brooksbank is preliminarily charged with traffic violation of failing to signal and a misdemeanor count of obstructions/interference with a police officer. An arrest report alleges Brooksbank was stopped after making a rude gesture to a passing Kentucky State trooper about 10:40 a.m. Friday.

Campaign manager Greg Hertzsch told WAVE-TV Brooksbank denies making an inappropriate gesture. Hertzsch says Brooksbank took out his phone to record the stop.

In a voicemail left to WISH-TV’s Bennett Haeberle, Brooksbank stuck by his claims of not making an inappropriate gesture, saying he was “curling his fingers because his wedding band was loose and didn’t want it to fall off.”

“Today I was a victim of an overzealous police officer who wears his emotions on his sleeve,” said Brooksbank.

Brooksbank is scheduled to be arraigned Saturday.

He is running for the 9th congressional district seat against Democrat Shelli Yoder and Republican Trey Hollingsworth.