WATCH: 70-year-old man backhands Turning Point Action member outside polling place 

A 70-year-old New Hampshire poet was arrested after a viral video showed him slapping an 18-year-old Turning Point Action (TPA) member.

The incident happened outside an elementary school in Laconia, New Hampshire, where TPA members were speaking with voters. Police say the man, Stephen Redic, approached the group’s tent to read a poem about rich people.

The video shows Redic arguing with the victim, now identified as Rainer Vesey, and saying, “You sit there and dare to look me in the face and say I don’t know anything?” before raising his middle finger and backhanding him. 

Laconia police arrested Redic Wednesday morning and charged him with misdemeanor simple assault and disorderly conduct, a violation. He will appear in court Dec. 10.

Watch the video: