Anti-vaccine activist films himself shoving Calif. state senator, then gets arrested

State Sen. Richard Pan. State Sen. Richard Pan. Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle Buy photo Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 12 Caption Close Anti-vaccine activist films himself shoving Calif. state senator, then gets arrested 1 / 12 Back to Gallery

An anti-vaccine activist was arrested Wednesday after filming himself shoving California state Sen. Richard Pan near the state capitol.

The Sacramento Police Department cited Kenneth Austin Bennett, a vocal anti-vaccine activist who is trying to recall Pan, for misdemeanor battery and released him.

Bennett live-streamed his interaction with Pan on Facebook, with the caption, "yes, I pushed Richard Pan for lying, laughing at us and for treason."

In the video, Bennett approaches Pan and can be heard yelling at the state senator while he smiles and walks across the sidewalk.

... yes, I pushed Richard Pan for lying, laughing at us and for treason. #PanRecall2 Posted by Austin Bennett on Wednesday, August 21, 2019

After a while, Bennett gives Pan a shove in the back and says "yeah, I pushed you," as Pan and his group turn and confront him.

"I probably shouldn't have done that," Bennett says later in the video.

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A spokesperson for Pan told multiple news outlets that he was uninjured during the incident.

The Sacramento Democrat has authored several bills that limit exemptions for child vaccinations, and his efforts have drawn hundreds of anti-vaccine activists to the Capitol in protest.

Bennett has tried unsuccessfully to recall Pan and filed paperwork to run against him last year but never appeared on the ballot.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Eric Ting is an SFGATE staff writer. Email: eric.ting@sfgate.com | Twitter:@_ericting