A Washington D.C. deputy mayor, who headed City Hall’s public safety efforts, resigned on Wednesday after he was accused of assault in Northern Virginia — an allegation which also raised questions about his residency.
Christopher Geldart, now the former deputy mayor for public safety and justice, was charged with allegedly assaulting a personal trainer after they argued in a Gold’s Gym parking lot in Arlington.
A police report listed Geldart’s address as a home in Virginia, sparking speculation into his residency. D.C. public officials must live within the city.
Mayor Muriel Bowser accepted his resignation on Wednesday.
“I’m saddened to say that I have accepted the resignation of deputy mayor Chris Geldart,” Bowser told reporters on Wednesday noting, “I am proud of the work that we have done together over the last eight years.”
She said Geldart served the city as the district director of homeland security, director of the department of public works and most recently the deputy mayor for public safety.
“Many of you will remember the great work that Chris did for us in the 2016 blizzard. He’s also played a significant role in our covid response,” she said.
She said that she and Geldart had a face-to-face conversation and the decision to accept his resignation was mutual.
“We both agree that the focus should be on the big issues affecting D.C.,” the mayor said.
She didn’t say specifically what prompted her to accept his resignation.
Geldart was allegedly leaving Gold’s Gym in the 3900 block of Wilson Boulevard in Arlington at about 12:25 p.m. on Oct. 1 when “the door of the suspect’s parked vehicle struck the vehicle the victim was entering,” according to an Arlington County police statement.
“The dispute escalated during which the suspect allegedly grabbed the victim by the throat,” police said.
Investigators eventually identified the suspect as Geldart, calling him a 53-year-old resident of Falls Church. He was charged with assault and battery.
“He was notified by telephone of the warrant, turned himself in and was released on a summons,” according to the police statement.
In Wednesday’s press conference, Bowser said that she believed the altercation was “over something minor” such as a “possible door ding.”
But the response to the issue was “serious,” according to Bowser.
The mayor said she believes Geldart’s family lives in Northern Virginia while he resides in Washington.
“We already know that his family lived in another place and he claims to have established residency in the district,” she said.
“I think that the issue surrounding and all of the questions being raised are distracting from his job and my job.”
Geldart declined comment on the alleged assault or the state of his residency, but said the resignation was necessary.
“I no longer wanted to be a distraction to the vitally important work of the public safety agencies of the district government,” he said to NBC Washington.
City administrator Kevin Donahue will act as interim deputy mayor.
David K. Li contributed.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
