One arrested at Palin rally

Sheriff Kenny Furlong said only one person was arrested during Saturday's political rally for Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin and that arrest had nothing to do with politics.

Alexjoban Fuentes Mejorado, a 19-year-old shoe salesman from Carson City, was arrested at about 4:48 p.m. Saturday in Mills Park while waiting to enter the Pony Express Pavilion.

He was arrested for suspicion of gross misdemeanor battery on a peace officer, misdemeanor obstructing, misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia and misdemeanor possession of marijuana.

According to a sheriff's office report, everyone in the large crowd had to go through one metal detector before being allowed into the pavilion.

When Mejorado came up to the metal detector, the report states, he refused when Secret Service officers directed him to empty his right front pants pocket, where they could see a bulge.

When officers attempted to check Mejorado's pocket, he pushed them away and attempted to run through the large crowd away from the entrance to the pavilion.

The report says one unnamed Secret Service officer was punched by Mejorado as he and other officers restrained the suspect. The officer received a cut above his right eye.

Carson City deputies were able to handcuff Mejorado after Secret Service officers pinned him to the ground.

Deputies found a small ziplock baggy with suspected marijuana and a glass pipe with suspected marijuana residue in Mejorado's pocket. A photograph was taken of the Secret Service officer's injury.

Mejorado's bail was set at $8,096.

Furlong said there were no incidents involving the 30 or so protesters at the park, with about 3,500 attending to hear Palin.

"It went very smoothly," he said. "We've been working on plans for most of the week, prior to putting people in place."

He said the first indication that someone was going to come to Carson City came from the media.

"The media usually jumps on these things faster than the Secret Service is ready to put it out," he said.

- Contact reporter Karen Woodmansee at kwoodmansee@nevadaappeal.com or call 881-7351.