New Jersey mayor charges at a resident during a township meeting, saying he was protecting his wife and daughter in a clash the resident disputes

A public meeting in Pemberton Township, New Jersey, took an ugly turn Wednesday night when Mayor Matthew Bianchini got up from his seat and charged toward a resident in the audience. A councilman and several people nearby had to hold him back as he shouted at Michael Sawka, a local resident who has frequently criticized the township’s administration.

According to The Daily Beast, the confrontation began after a heated exchange involving Sawka and the mayor’s family, who were sitting at the back of the room. Witnesses claimed Sawka had insulted Bianchini’s wife and daughter before making an obscene gesture toward them.

Sawka has denied insulting the mayor’s family. Video of the meeting posted to the township’s YouTube page shows Sawka waving his hand toward the mayor’s family and then making an obscene gesture toward the mayor, ABC News reported.

The mayor said he was just trying to protect his family

Bianchini left the dais and rushed down the aisle toward the public seating area, shouting at Sawka. “I am getting you, I am f—ing getting you!” the mayor yelled as a council member and others grabbed him and pulled him away. Even as they tried to restrain him, Bianchini continued struggling and reaching toward the crowd as he was moved toward the exit.

Police officers inside the chamber stepped in and followed the mayor into an adjoining room to separate those involved and calm the situation. Sawka called on officers to arrest Bianchini, accusing him of making criminal threats and physically confronting him. Audio and video recordings captured parts of the incident and its aftermath.

Another person in the audience also told Sawka to leave, complaining that he regularly brought arguments and disruptive comments to township meetings. Bianchini later defended his actions in an interview with local television station WPVI.

He acknowledged that charging across the room was not the right way to handle the situation, but argued that he had been reacting to what he considered disrespectful behavior toward his wife and daughter. “Was it wrong? Absolutely. Was it justified? Absolutely,” the mayor said.

Sawka, however, disputed that account. He denied insulting the mayor’s relatives. According to Sawka, he had simply turned around and waved his hands dismissively to tell them to quiet down after they allegedly began making comments from behind him.

The resident wants the mayor to step down

Sawka has since called for Bianchini to resign, arguing that the confrontation could have ended much worse if someone had thrown a punch. Bianchini is now facing a complaint over the confrontation, NBC10 reported.

Tensions between local leaders and those around them have boiled over at other council meetings this month, including in Milner, Georgia, where the entire police force resigned amid a feud with the mayor. The resignations were announced during a City Council meeting there.

Bianchini has said he will not resign and does not believe his actions warrant criminal charges. He and Sawka continue to give conflicting accounts of what sparked the confrontation.