A Minnesota father accused of assaulting a conservative reporter at an anti-ICE protest says he has been overwhelmed by the “nonstop” backlash against his family.
“It’s a little overwhelming and makes me second-guess even living in this country, to be honest with you, with all that’s going on,” Chris Ostroushko told One America News Network in an interview published Monday. “I’ve never had this happen in my life.”
Ostroushko told the news outlet that his family, neighbors and extended family have been inundated with “hundreds of phone calls a day, text messages and social media messages” since the viral incident.
Ostroushko, his wife DeYanna and daughter Paige were seen on camera in an altercation with TPUSA reporter Savanah Hernandez outside the Whipple building in Minnesota on April 11.
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Hernandez was covering the protest for “F— ICE Day” when she says demonstrators surrounded her after realizing she was affiliated with Turning Point USA, the conservative organization founded by Charlie Kirk.
She says protesters blew horns in her face and that Chris and Paige attacked her. A video clip of the incident shows Chris coming up behind Hernandez and appearing to shove her to the ground.
Chris Ostroushko said in a previous interview that he was defending his wife and daughter and described Hernandez as the aggressor in the incident.
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“We are absolutely not violent people. In fact, we tend to shy away from it,” Ostroushko told podcast host Brian Shapiro last week.
The Ostroushkos’ say they’ve been doxed and smeared after the video went viral and lost their jobs. They also claim that Paige suffered neck injuries from the police. They’ve started a GoFundMe with the goal of raising $8,000. It has raised over $300 so far.
Hernandez told Fox News Digital she sought medical treatment and was told she had a concussion and multiple sprains.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon and Vice President JD Vance confirmed that the FBI has opened an investigation into the incident.
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The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office previously told Fox News Digital that the case remains under investigation and that it recommended charges against Paige Ostroushko and Christopher Ostroushko in connection with the assault of a journalist.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty has not announced charges in the case.
The Hennepin County Sheriff’s office did not immediately return Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
