Police: Woman accused of throwing shoe at Hillary Clinton seemed ‘agitated’

Steve Marcus

A woman accused of throwing a shoe at Hillary Clinton during a speech in Las Vegas on Thursday appeared to be in “an agitated state” but aware of what she had done, according to a Metro Police arrest report.

The woman, identified as Alison Michelle Ernst, 36, of Arizona was arrested on a count of disorderly conduct, authorities said.

Ernst was released Thursday night from the Clark County Detention Center, Metro Police Officer Jose Hernandez said. She was let go on her own recognizance and scheduled to appear June 24 in Las Vegas Justice Court for an arraignment.

Clinton was a few minutes into her keynote address at the annual convention of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries at Mandalay Bay when Ernst approached the stage and threw a Puma soccer cleat at the former secretary of state, said Brian Spellacy, special agent in charge of the Las Vegas office of the Secret Service.

Clinton ducked the shoe and was unharmed. She handled the situation with aplomb, quickly getting back on track.

“Thank goodness she didn’t play softball like I did,” she quipped to loud applause.

Ernst immediately walked out of the ballroom and was surrounded by security personnel and Secret Service agents.

According to the arrest report, Ernst carried the shoe inside her purse before throwing it overhand at Clinton.

“Ernst appeared to be in an agitated state but aware of what she had just done,” the report states.

She gave no answer when asked by reporters about throwing the shoe.

Ernst, whose booking photo shows her with short, reddish-brown hair, wore a long, platinum blond wig during the incident.

The incident remains under investigation and it’s possible additional charges could be filed, Spellacy said. It would be up to the U.S. Attorney’s Office whether to press any federal charges.

A spokesman for the recycling institute said Ernst did not have credentials for the event and slipped past security and into the ballroom where Clinton was addressing more than 1,000 people as part of a series of speaking engagements this week.

Clinton is already scheduled to return to Las Vegas and speak at Mandalay Bay for the National Clean Energy Summit on Sept. 4.