The Radical Reading Room

Police in Chillicothe, Ohio, have denied claims that a stabbing occurred during a Donald Trump rally on Wednesday evening. The incident took place outside the Shoemaker Center on the Ohio University campus, where Trump delivered a speech ahead of the November 3 midterms. A video circulating online shows a man asking officers if there’s a knife in his back, with an orange pocketknife appearing to protrude from his shirt.

However, officials say the knife was not used to stab anyone. Chillicothe Police Captain Michael Short stated there was no stabbing, only a physical altercation that an officer intervened to stop. The officer’s pocketknife became caught in a supporter’s shirt during the fight, but did not open.

The video has since been shared widely on social media, with conservative activist Tyler Bowyer claiming an anti-Trump individual stabbed a Trump supporter. The Chillicothe Police Department has maintained that the incident involved no violence, only a brief confrontation.

The footage has sparked online debate, with some users interpreting the scene as evidence of political violence. A separate report from TMZ.com corroborates the police account, confirming the officer’s knife became stuck in a shirt during a fight.

No injuries were reported, and no arrests were made at the scene. The event occurred as part of Trump’s campaign tour ahead of the upcoming elections.