Washington Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Resigns After Assault Charges

Chris Geldart, D.C. Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice, speaks at a news conference near a collapsed pedestrian bridge in Washington, D.C., on June 23, 2021. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Washington, D.C., Deputy Mayor Chris Geldart resigned Wednesday following assault and battery charges after allegedly getting into an altercation outside a gym in Virginia in early October.

Geldart allegedly had a verbal dispute with a man after opening his car door and hitting the vehicle belonging to the victim, according to Arlington County Police in Virginia.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced Geldart’s resignation on Wednesday, refusing to go into detail about their conversation but saying both agreed “the focus should be on the big issues affecting D.C.”

“I’m saddened to say that I’ve accepted the resignation of Deputy Mayor Chris Geldart but I am proud of the work that we have done together over the last eight years and I am immensely grateful to Chris for his service to this city,” Bowser told reporters at a press availability.

“Chris has been a very capable and effective public servant and I’ve gotten to know him over the years in several roles.”

Geldart previously served as director of D.C. Homeland Security and director of the Department of Public Works before becoming deputy mayor for public safety.

“Many of you will remember the great work Chris did for us in the 2016 blizzard,” Bowser added. “He’s also played a significant role in our COVID response.”

“We certainly wish Chris well,” she added. “That said, we both agree that the focus should be on the big issues affecting D.C.”

City Administrator Kevin Donahue will step in to provide leadership of Geldart’s former department until a new deputy mayor is appointed. Donahue previously served in Geldart’s former role.

The Alleged Assault

Geldart was already placed on leave after the charges were filed against him while it was under review, with Bowser calling the incident “a dispute over something minor.”

Geldart and the alleged male victim argued in a parking lot outside a gym. Police said the former deputy mayor’s car door struck the vehicle that the victim was entering.

“The dispute escalated, during which the suspect allegedly grabbed the victim by the throat,” Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Savage told Arlington Now.

The alleged victim filed a criminal complaint with the Office of the Magistrate and a warrant for assault and battery was issued for Geldart, Savage said.

Geldart later turned himself in to law enforcement and was released on a court summons, she said.

The alleged assault and battery was reportedly captured in purported video footage that shows a larger man approaching another man in a parking lot before the larger appears to push the other one away. The larger man is then seen walking back to the vehicle.

Graham Woodward, who’s identified as a trainer at the gym, claimed himself to be the alleged victim in the video. He previously told Fox5 that the gym staff had “been dealing” with Geldart at Gold’s Gym for “a while.”

“It’s a little frustrating, right? Because he’s way too big to be trying to be a bully, especially with his position,” he said, adding: “Something needs to be done because you can’t just abuse your power like that. That’s pretty frustrating on my end.”

Jack Phillips contributed to this report.