"You're rude you're a bully and I'm sick of it," Booze said to a political rival that yelled at him just before he was assaulted. "Next thing I know, I feel this big thud to the back of my head and I'm going what was that? I'm turning around to look and I get a sock right in my temple here," he said.
Video supplied to ABC7 News by Sean Comey of Chevron shows David Moore, 72, being led away by Richmond police in handcuffs Thursday night. The assault happened at a councilmember candidates meeting on the 1100 block of Brickyard Cove in Point Richmond. Moore was taken into custody for misdemeanor assault, cited and released. Moore who is an active member of the Richmond progressive alliance wrote this email in his defense.
"Things got heated, and I got in his face and said some pretty mean things, including calling him a bully and a coward. At that point, Corky punched me in the face and I tried to hit him back," Comey said.
Richmond police told ABC7 that an off duty police officer saw Moore punch Booze. He did not see Booze attack Moore. That's why Moore was taken into custody. While this incident is being investigated, Richmond police are also investigating what they call improper touching of a female by Booze which they say is also a misdemeanor assault that occurred on September 20. Booze denies doing anything of the sort.
"There were no charges pressed against me. There was conversation, but no charges," Booze said.
Booze says he fears that Thursday's violence is a sign of things to come. He says the NAACP and other community organizations will be at Tuesday's City Council meeting to voice their displeasure at what happened and support for Booze.
