Man surrenders after allegedly threatening Jewish congressman with Palestine flag

An Ohio man accused of running Republican Rep. Max Miller off the road while brandishing a Palestinian flag turned himself in to authorities Friday, facing an aggravated menacing charge, according to Politico.

Feras Hamdan, 36, voluntarily surrendered with an attorney present at the Rocky River Municipal Court after an arrest warrant was issued Thursday, the outlet reported. The incident has sparked a multi-agency investigation involving local police, U.S. Capitol Police (USCP), the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio.

“As I was driving to work, some unhinged, deranged man decided to lay on his horn and run me off the road. When he couldn’t get my attention, to show me a Palestinian flag — not to mention death to Israel, death to me — that he wanted to kill me and my family,” Miller, who is Jewish, said in a video posted to X on Thursday.

The congressman said the suspect not only forced his vehicle off the highway but also made threats against him and his family.

The road rage incident allegedly occurred Thursday in Rocky River, a Cleveland suburb, as Miller was driving to work. The congressman, who served as an aide to President Donald Trump during his first term, described the confrontation as “blatant antisemitic violence.” Miller’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Capitol Police emphasized their “zero-tolerance policy” towards threats against elected officials in a statement to the Daily Caller News Foundation.

“In less than 24 hours … [Capitol Police] had boots on the ground, collaborated with the local police department, and the suspect in the case was arrested that same evening,” said Acting Chief Sean Gallagher. “This case is a prime example of the USCP’s stance towards threats against our elected officials. We will continue to have a zero-tolerance policy.”

The purported incident has drawn widespread condemnation from lawmakers across party lines. House Speaker Mike Johnson called the supposed episode “yet another outrageous example of unhinged rhetoric inspiring unstable people to threaten and attack elected officials,” while House Democratic leaders issued a joint statement condemning the attack and urging quick action to protect members.

Hamdan’s alleged threats came during a period of heightened security concerns following the shooting of two Minnesota state lawmakers and their spouses over the weekend.

Miller’s office, Rocky River Police, Rocky River Municipal Court, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio did not immediately respond to the DCNF’s requests for comment.