Oct. 6 (UPI) -- Washington, D.C., Deputy Mayor Christopher Geldart was arrested earlier this week on accusations of assaulting a man in the parking lot of an Arlington, Va., shopping center, police said.
The incident occurred at about 12:30 p.m. Saturday, according Arlington County police, The Washington Post reported.
Law enforcement said the door of Geldart's car hit the victim's vehicle. Washington, D.C.'s top public safety official is then accused of grabbing the unidentified person by the neck.
Police were notified of the incident by the victim Monday with a criminal complaint filed the following day with the county magistrate's office, which produced an assault and battery warrant for Geldart's arrest.
The office of Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser told WJLA in a statement that Geldart has been placed on leave while the incident is under review.
"We take any accusations seriously and are reviewing the matter," it said. "Unfortunately, it sounds like something that happens to a lot of people -- a dispute over something minor -- and we hope it is resolved quickly."
Bowser appointed Geldart to be her deputy mayor for public safety and justice in January of 2021 after he served as the district's operational lead for its emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to his profile on the district's website.
