Mayoral rally descends into violence as sex toy drone flown over candidate

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
A mayoral campaign in Albuquerque, New Mexico recently descended into chaos after a drone with a sex toy attached was flown in by alleged “political operatives”.

The Albuquerque Journal reported that the bizarre incident unfolded on Tuesday at a campaign event in Northeast Albuquerque for mayoral candidate Manuel Gonzales III, who is the sheriff of Bernalillo County.

Video from the wild scene shows Mr Gonzales, a Democrat, being confronted by a demonstrator before a drone with a large dildo attached to it flies into view and hovers above the candidate's head.

“Is that a dong on a drone?” a woman asks outside of the frame. As the mayhem continues, a security guard moves in to disarm the device, prompting a man to jump up and attempt to retrieve the large sex toy.

A skirmish then ensues and the event breaks out into calamity, with audience members exclaiming in outrage as the man is wrestled to the ground.

The man allegedly involved was identified by the Journal as 20-year-old Kaelan Ashby Dreyer. He was reportedly charged with petty misdemeanor battery and misdemeanor resisting evading or obstructing an officer over the incident.

KOB4 reported that a criminal complaint alleged Mr Dreyer also “balled his fist and swung it” at Mr Gonzales and also that the candidate was “struck in the hands”.

The newspaper said that Mr Gonzales later said in a press conference that he believes the stunt was carried out by “political operatives” and that “it was a coordinated effort, very intentional, and these people were trained.”

“Those people were planted there,” the candidate reportedly alleged. “They went there. They didn’t go over there to have a civil discourse, they were there to disrupt. And they did act out that violence. So to me, it’s very intentional.”

The campaign of incumbent Mayor Tim Keller, also a Democrat, is said to have condemned the stunt, calling it “disruptive, rude and immature”.

Mr Keller’s campaign manager Neri Holguin told the Journal: “We denounce demeaning antics and urge residents to participate in the political process in a respectful manner.”

Mr Gonzales accused the alleged disruptors of “possibly” working on behalf of “the other campaign,” however Mr Keller’s campaign vehemently denied the allegations, calling them “pathetic”.

Mr Dreyer also denied working for Mr Keller’s campaign, telling the newspaper that he identified as a libertarian. The sex toy drone has reportedly been seized by the authorities as evidence from the incident.

Ms Holguin told The Independent that Mr Gonzales’ allegations are without “facts or evidence” saying that “as a law enforcement leader, that reflects poorly on him.”

“I will not be intimidated, I will continue to work with and protect the people of Albuquerque,” Mr Gonzales previously told the Journal in a statement following the incident.