Ugly details of hallway fight between Riviera Beach councilmen disclosed; no charges filed
Riviera Beach City Council members Tradrick McCoy and Douglas Lawson have mutually agreed not to pursue battery charges stemming from a fight they had after a meeting last month, according to a report released Thursday by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.
While PBSO found probable cause existed to charge both men with simple battery, a misdemeanor, the detective investigating the case gave the council members the option of pursuing a charge or dropping the case. Both would have to agree not to pursue charges, and, after consulting with their attorneys, both men made that decision.
Their decision ends a possible criminal prosecution, but the report lays out in detail for the first time a significant low point for the city — two elected officials getting into a physical altercation after a City Council meeting that left one councilman, Lawson, with a lacerated cornea.
The report notes that Mayor Ronnie Felder, described as a witness to the altercation, refused to provide a statement to PBSO, in contrast with exhortations that police in Riviera Beach and elsewhere make for witnesses to share with law enforcement what they know of possible criminal conduct.
A spokeswoman for Lawson issued a statement in response to questions from The Palm Beach Post.
"Mr. Lawson wants to put this incident behind him," the statement read. "It was unfortunate. Mr. Lawson supports Mr. McCoy seeking the help that he needs to deal with any anger issues he has. Mr. Lawson contends that Mr. McCoy is and has always been a strong advocate for the residents of the City of Riviera Beach. Mr. Lawson hopes Mr. McCoy will diligently seek the help that he needs to deal with any issues that threatens to distract him from his goal of supporting the citizens of Riviera Beach."
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Neither Felder nor McCoy returned emails seeking comment about the report, released as the city grapples with a series of momentous developments:
A City Council vote asking Gov. Ron DeSantis to suspend or remove McCoy.
An ongoing investigation into the actions taken after at least one well tested positive last year for E. coli.
A separate investigation into the city's hiring practices and employee work environment and referendum questions that next month will ask residents whether the city should be permitted to raise $115 million for a variety of infrastructure upgrades.
Some residents have told City Council members during public meetings that, in the current climate, they do not trust city officials to oversee such huge and expensive projects.
How and why the physical altercation between Riviera Council members unfolded
On January 24, during a special meeting to discuss development, McCoy attempted to read a notice sent to residents about the positive E. coli well test and the city's failure to notify the state as required by law.
Only three of the five council members had attended the special meeting and after one, Councilwoman Shirley Lanier, left, Lawson, who chaired the meeting, wondered if the meeting needed to be adjourned because a quorum no longer existed.
McCoy objected to Lawson's efforts to stop him from speaking while he sought clarity from the city attorney. The men spoke over each other for a short time before Lawson quieted and McCoy finished reading the notice and criticized the city's pursuit of large-scale infrastructure projects in the face of the need to provide something far more basic — clean, safe drinking water.
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Lawson did eventually ask the city attorney if the special meeting should be adjourned, and he gaveled it to a close when she said the meeting should not be continued.
After the meeting, McCoy and Lawson got into a physical altercation that, according to PBSO's report, was captured by security cameras and witnessed at least in part by Felder, security guards, City Manager Jonathan Evans, an aide to Lawson and a city employee.
Riviera Beach police asked PBSO to review the incident to avoid any appearance of favoritism or bias.
The PBSO detective who investigated the case viewed the security footage and interviewed and obtained official statements from all of the witnesses except Felder.
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"Felder asked if he absolutely had to make a statement, at which point I explained to him that it is his choice to provide one or not," the detective wrote. "Felder asked if he could think about what he would do because he had a meeting to attend at the moment, at which point I advised him to contact me when he decides and I provided him a business card with my cell number for direct contact when he decides on how he wishes to proceed. This concluded my contact with Mayor Felder."
The detective said the mayor never did follow up to say if he'd provide a statement.
"Thus it was assumed that he would not cooperate with the investigation request," the detective concluded.
Detective: Security-camera footage details the ugly altercation
Those interviewed gave slightly varied accounts, but the detective said the security footage showed that, after the special meeting, McCoy entered a hall from a side door and put his things down on a table. Lawson, Felder, a security guard and Lawson's assistant entered the hall from a side door.
Lawson then placed a bottle of water on a table and "turns to come face to face with McCoy."
Witnesses told the detective that Lawson was angrily asking McCoy why he disrespected him as he tried to preside over the meeting.
According to the report, Felder grabbed Lawson's arm before letting go. The two council members continued to argue.
"They both use their hands to express their frustrations and speak," the report states. "At one point, Lawson does raise his right open hand to approximately shoulder height toward McCoy, but not in any threatening manner."
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The report then states that "as Lawson lowers his hand and it is now by his side, McCoy responds by taking his left hand raising it to Lawson's face. With his pointer finger extended, McCoy makes contact with Lawson's face/bridge of his nose/right eye and with force pushes his head backwards with his left pointer finger. Lawson dropped the drink that was in his hand to the floor, took a step back, and places the papers, along with his glasses, on the table."
A witness told the detective Lawson said, "Oh hell no," and moved toward McCoy.
"Felder grabs Lawson's left arm and attempts to hold him back," the report states.
Felder and security guards attempt to come between the two men, but Lawson "then proceeds to push Felder to the side in an attempt to get at McCoy."
The guards were unable to restrain Lawson, who eventually came face to face with McCoy in a corner out of camera view.
One witness said Lawson had McCoy "jacked up" in the corner, holding his blazer and shirt collar in his fists.
Security guards were able to come between the two again, and, after collecting their things, the two men left, moving through the parking lot in opposite directions.
Council member Lawson ended up with a lacerated cornea from the fight
Lawson told the detective he did "go to the hospital after he got home and the adrenaline wore off because he started to experience trouble sleeping, a headache, and irritation with this eye. He stated that upon going to the hospital, the doctors there found that his cornea was lacerated. He then responded the following morning to his normal doctor, whom prescribed medication and drops for his eye."
A week after the fight, Lawson joined Lanier and council members Julia Botel and KaShamba Miller-Anderson in voting to ask DeSantis either to suspend or remove McCoy, whom they said has displayed increasing and potentially dangerous levels and anger.
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In asking her colleagues to join her in asking for McCoy's removal, Lanier described an earlier, closed-door council meeting where McCoy repeatedly told her to "shut the F*** up."
Miller-Anderson backed Lanier's account, and Botel said she's long been afraid of McCoy, who did not attend the meeting where his colleagues voted to seek his removal.
The Post asked Lawson if he still supports McCoy's suspension or removal.
"As for disciplinary actions against Mr. McCoy, Mr. Lawson voted on the matter and has nothing further to add," the statement issued on behalf of Lawson reads.
Wayne Washington is a journalist covering West Palm Beach, Riviera Beach and race relations at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at wwashington@pbpost.com. Help support our work; subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Riviera councilmen won't face battery charges after post-meeting fight
