Photo: CBS 12
An elected official in Boynton Beach is formally charged with battery, nearly eight months after the alleged incident.
City Commissioner Thomas Turkin is on video, appearing to be taking a cell phone away from Dominick Vargas at City Hall in January.
Vargas had shown up to file his paperwork to challenge Turkin in the March election and says he was within his rights to record.
In a statement, Vargas says he had a right to be using his phone to record his interactions with a sitting commissioner:
“What happened on January 10 is now part of the public record. I went to City Hall to file paperwork, something any resident should be able to do without interference. Instead, I was confronted and physically touched by an elected official in a public building in front of witnesses.
I have cooperated fully with the investigation and provided a sworn statement. I am speaking now not as a candidate but as a resident who believes public service is a responsibility, not a license to intimidate or cross personal boundaries.
I am not asking for special treatment, just equal treatment. What happened was inappropriate for anyone, let alone someone in public office. This process should bring accountability not just for what was done to me but for the principle that public spaces should feel safe, respectful, and fair for all of us.”
The FDLE says after an investigation, there was probable cause to charge Turkin, who will appear in court on Monday.
In a statement sent exclusively to the Florida News Network, Turkin says in part that he respects the legal process and focuses on the fact that despite what he calls the "silly noise," he was "overwhelmingly re-elected."
"I respect the legal process and trust it will examine the facts thoroughly and fairly.
That said, despite all the silly noise and controversy, the people of Boynton Beach spoke clearly - and overwhelmingly re-elected me to continue serving our community. That’s where my focus remains."