Police: Vote on health care motivated attack

Woman tried to run congressman off road, authorities say

A Tennessee woman hated that her congressman voted for the controversial Republican health-care bill in the House of Representatives, authorities say.

So Wendi Wright tried to run Rep. David Kustoff, R-Tenn., off the road after he left a town hall meeting at the University of Tennessee at Martin, they said.

The Weakley County Sheriff’s Department said Wright tailed the car carrying Kustoff. At some point, the congressman and his aide became afraid and worried that Wright wanted to force them off the road.

They then turned into a driveway and stopped. That’s where Wright got out, screamed at the congressman and struck the windows of his vehicle, even reaching inside the car, the sheriff’s department said.

Authorities said Wright then stood in front of the vehicle to try to keep Kustoff from leaving. At some point, someone called 911, but Wright left before authorities arrived.

The incident happened May 8, four days after House Republicans narrowly passed a bill to overhaul the country’s healthcare system.

Wright, 35, has been charged with felony reckless endangerment and was released after posting a $1,000 bond. Authorities say they found her after she posted details of the encounter with Kustoff on Facebook.

It was not immediately clear if Wright has an attorney. She will be arraigned Monday.