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Darby Mayor Darren Burrell, 41, apparently asked Omar Thompson if he could talk during a heated Nov. 2 discussion about traffic grew heated, and threatened to attack him, according to multiple news outlets citing the arrest affidavit.
Sometime after the meeting, the two were talking. That's when Burrell got out of his seat and punched Thompson, then grabbed him, causing him to fall to the floor.
Thompson was hospitalized with injuries to his hands and leg, while Burrell was released on bail but banned from communicating with Thompson.
Burrell was charged with simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and harassment.
Darby Borough Council President Rudy Taylor called Burrell's arrest a "dark day in Darby's history" and penned a statement that read, in part:
"There is no excuse for violence in this body or in public life. The men and women who sit on this podium sometimes engage in vigorous debate about contentious issues. But we must always remain civil. It is what the people who elected us deserve and expect."
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