DC Deputy Mayor Charged with Assault and Battery!

Chris Geldart, the DC Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice, has been charged with assault and battery after getting into a fight in an Arlington Gold’s Gym parking lot.

According to Fox 5 DC, Geldart grabbed a personal trainer’s neck in the parking lot after an altercation.

Dustin Woodward, the personal trainer, got permission to use surveillance video and exclusively shared it with Fox 5 DC.

Watch the footage HERE.

Washington, DC’s Deputy Mayor for Public Safety & Justice, CHRIS GELDART, has been charged with assault & battery after a parking lot altercation at a Gold's Gym in Ballston. https://t.co/5AhK75R9to

— Kenneth P. Vogel (@kenvogel) October 6, 2022

Fox 5 DC reported:

In the video, DC’s deputy mayor is on the right (in tank top & shorts), Dustin on the left (in long-sleeve and workout pants) – and according to Arlington Police, an argument stemmed from Chris allegedly opening up his car door and hitting the parked car of Dustin’s girlfriend. The dispute escalated to the point where Dustin says Chris was cursing and screaming, which caused him to turn around and tell Dustin to “shut up.”  This is when Chris got in Dustin’s face in a confrontational style. Later in the video, the two men are chest-to-chest and Dustin says Chris put his hands on his throat before he was able to push him away.

Dustin told FOX 5’s Sierra Fox that it could have ended a lot worse.

“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. 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.”

This is Dustin Woodard, the man police say DC Deputy Mayor Christopher Geldart grabbed by the throat in an argument over a door ding in a Gold’s Gym parking lot.
Geldart is on leave pending investigation. @wusa9 https://t.co/pr9z9auWlX pic.twitter.com/O19AkeNCGQ

— Casey Nolen (@CaseyNolen) October 6, 2022

FOX 5’s Sierra Fox asked DC Mayor Muriel Bowser if she thinks it’s acceptable behavior from someone on her leadership team and she didn’t want to answer questions at the time.

She lashed out at the reporter.

WATCH:

TONIGHT ON @fox5dc: We have EXCLUSIVE video showing the moment DC Deputy Mayor Chris Geldart allegedly grabbed a man by his neck in a Gold’s Gym parking lot in Arlington, VA. He is charged with assault and battery. I’ll have reports for you coming up at 4 pm, 5 pm, and 6 pm. pic.twitter.com/WHBQPFtA09

— Sierra Fox (@thesierrafox) October 5, 2022

Mayor Bowser later released this statement:

“We take any accusations seriously and are reviewing the matter. While it is under review, Deputy Mayor Geldart is on leave. Unfortunately, it sounds like something that happens to a lot of people — a dispute over something minor — and we hope it is resolved quickly.”