Republican candidate violently attacked while putting up campaign signs in Las Vegas in broad daylight: Report

A man running for state office in Nevada was reportedly violently attacked in broad daylight while putting up campaign signs about a week and a half ago.

Around 4 p.m. on August 29, Stanley Vaughan braved the Las Vegas heat and walked about and put up campaign signs for himself and other candidates near the intersection of Pecos Road and Twain Avenue, about five miles east of the Las Vegas Strip.

Vaughan believes that the suspect is homeless, reporting that he had a disheveled appearance and that he likely hadn't bathed in days.

Vaughan then turned to affix a sign to a chain-link fence when suddenly a man wielding a knife approached him and demanded his wallet, he claimed.

"I‘m so focused on getting the cable ties through and getting them through the fence, I wasn’t paying attention to pedestrians and stuff coming through here," Vaughan recalled to KVVU. "I had my back turned. I turned around, [and he] caught me by surprise."

Vaughan — an Army veteran, martial arts enthusiast, and the security and police liaison for his homeowners' association — said he responded "instinctively" by kicking the would-be mugger. At that point, the suspect "ran away," Vaughan said.

Unfortunately, that was not the end of the matter. It turns out that the suspect managed to slice him in the forearm with the knife.

"I jumped into the car, and then I realized I was bleeding," Vaughan said.

Vaughan then drove home, where his wife, a nurse, attended to his injury. His forearm was still wrapped in bandages when he spoke with KVVU.

Vaughan believes that the suspect is homeless, reporting that he had a disheveled appearance and that he likely hadn't bathed in days. Vaughan told KVVU he will no longer be going out by himself to put campaign signs up.

Police are treating the attack as an isolated incident.

Detectives have also apparently identified a suspect, as KVVU reported that they "have not tied the perpetrator to any crimes in the area." So far, no names have been released.

Vaughan, 67, is running as a Republican for the Nevada Assembly seat for District 20. His opponent, incumbent state Assemblyman David Orentlicher (D), condemned the attack.

"I am very concerned and saddened to hear about the attack on Mr. Vaughan, and I wish him a speedy recovery. We all should be able to feel safe in our communities, and I am committed to continuing our work to reduce crime across Nevada. I hope the perpetrators are held accountable for their actions," Orentlicher said in a statement to KVVU.

Orentlicher — a Democrat, a UNLV law professor, a medical doctor, and a self-described expert "in medical ethics" — previously received the Distinguished Legislative Service Award from Planned Parenthood for "his 'strong and tenacious support' of the Planned Parenthood mission," his website says.

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