DC deputy mayor charged with assault, battery

D.C. Deputy Mayor Chris Geldart has been charged with assault and battery over a parking lot dispute on Saturday, according to police.

Geldart is accused of assaulting a man outside of a Gold’s Gym in Arlington, Va., the Arlington County Police Department said in a summary of the incident. After Geldart allegedly struck the man’s car with his car door, the two argued and Geldart allegedly grabbed the man by the throat.

The deputy mayor has been placed on leave while the incident is reviewed, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office said, according to FOX5 News.

“We take any accusations seriously and are reviewing the matter,” Bowser’s office said in the statement, adding, “Unfortunately, it sounds like something that happens to a lot of people — a dispute over something minor — and we hope it is resolved quickly.”