TORONTO – An Oshawa city council meeting turned violent last night when the mayor asked a citizen to leave.
A Youtube video shows a man in the back row clapping as delegates speak.
Police say the mayor asked the man to stop and when he refused to do so, the mayor asked him to leave.
The man was then forced to the ground by two security guards and taken into custody by a plain-clothes officer who was sitting in the audience of the council meeting. The police officer was at the meeting “proactively” according to officials who anticipated problems.
The incident took place as council wrapped up an investigation into allegations of misconduct by the city’s auditor general against the city manager.
Witnesses in the video can be heard saying the man was willing to leave on his own but Durham police say the man did not comply.
Daniel Hammong, 52, and William Steele, 46, were both charged with assault and failing to leave premises when directed.
In the end, council voted 8-3 to accept the findings of a separate investigator who found nothing wrong with the deal that resulted in a $1.2-million overpayment for a property.
It also adopted his seven other recommendations, including to eliminate the auditor general position.
-With files from The Canadian Press
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