Washington, D.C., Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Chris Geldart was suspended while he is investigated for an alleged assault Saturday.
NBC Mark Segraves first reported the deputy mayor being placed on leave for allegedly assaulting a man in a gym’s parking lot.
The New York Post further reported:
Chris Geldart, the DC Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice, was captured on video angrily confronting a trainer at the gym.
Police said the argument started when the trainer, Chris Geldart, accidentally made contact with Woodward’s car when he opened his car door at 12:25 p.m. Saturday.
The two can be seen shouting at one another until Geldart confronts the trainer and stares him down. Despite being much smaller in stature, Woodward sizes Geldart back up, until the massive deputy mayor seemingly reaches for Woodward’s throat.
Woodward pushes Geldart back, and the men resume shouting at one another as bystanders intervene. Geldart walks away and gets inside his car.
According to Woodward, this is not the first time Geldart has demonstrated aggressive behavior.
“It’s … little frustrations, right? Because he’s way too big to be trying to be a bully especially with his position. Something should be done. It’s not okay,” the trainer told Fox 5.
“We’ve been dealing with him a while at Gold’s. Multiple locations actually that’s how we even figured out who he was so something needs to be done because you can’t just abuse your power like that. That’s pretty frustrating on my end.”
Geldart, who has served as deputy mayor since January 2021, has been put on administrative leave and charged by police with assault and battery.
“We take any accusations seriously and are reviewing the matter. While it is under review, Deputy Mayor Geldart is on leave,” Mayor Muriel Bowser’s Office said in a statement. “Unfortunately, it sounds like something that happens to a lot of people — a dispute over something minor — and we hope it is resolved quickly.”
Calls by The Post to Geldart’s office were not immediately returned.
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