(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Maine authorities have arrested a man who allegedly drove his vehicle toward a journalist from the local conservative outlet Maine Wire as the reporter was conducting a report on questions about Medicare payments to a clinic.
Headline USA can confirm that the Bangor Police Department arrested Ryan C. Hayward on a warrant and booked him into the Penobscot County Jail Friday at approximately 2:24 p.m. local time.
The Oct. 1 incident was captured on video as journalist Joe Sokol taped a news report outside the Bangor Comprehensive Treatment Center, a clinic that had reportedly received roughly $25 million in Medicaid payments.
The video begins with the suspect reversing near Sokol before stopping and staring at the journalist.
“You are kind of invading people’s privacy here,” the driver said.
Sokol, seemingly puzzled by the man, explained that he was standing on a public street while recording a news report.
Sokol then dismissed the man, who drove away.
Approximately 20 seconds later, as Sokol tried to resume recording, he noticed that the same vehicle was now headed toward him.
Sokol jumped out of the way as the vehicle approached, but the driver struck his camera and knocked it to the ground.
Sokol then obtained the vehicle’s license plate, which he read aloud in the video.
The Maine Wire quickly published footage of the incident and accused the driver of attempting to kill Sokol.
Hayward was charged with reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon, criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon, driving to endanger and violating conditions of release.
The outlet described the incident as the latest in a series of confrontations involving Maine Wire journalists. It published a compilation video showing activists aggressively confronting reporters, including demonstrators throwing signs and poking flags at their cameras.
The Maine news outlet said that Sokol had been assaulted on July 7, after a man carrying a protest sign allegedly pushed him and bumped him.
The Bangor Police Department charged 78-year-old Ronald Staples with assault in connection with the incident.
We have seen a dramatic rise in targeted political violence, threats, and intimidation over the last few months, culminating in the murder attempt against our reporter today.
At what point will Maine's political leaders start calling this out? pic.twitter.com/vOeZcda6Z5
— The Maine Wire (@TheMaineWire) October 1, 2026
