Violence erupts at Southern California city hall meeting

A scuffle broke out at West Covina’s City Tuesday night involving candidates in two municipal elections.

The bizarre scene unfolded shortly before 8 p.m., the San Gabriel Valley Tribune reported, while a Planning Commission meeting was underway.

According to video footage and witness accounts, the altercation involved Councilmember Rosario Diaz, her husband Bill Elliott, and residents Steve Bennett and John Shewmaker.

Shewmaker is challenging Diaz for the District 3 City Council seat, while Bennett is a candidate for the Covina-Valley School District Board of Education.

“The West Covina Police Department responded to an incident last night,” City Manager Paulina Morales said in a statement to the Tribune on Wednesday. “The incident is under investigation. At this time, we have no further comment.”

Those involved in the scuffle were inside the council chambers during Tuesday’s commission meeting's public comment period.

The Tribune reported that several attendees criticized Brian Gutierrez, a planning commissioner and candidate for the City Council District 1 seat, for his absence at an Oct. 9 candidate forum organized by residents. Speaking to the commission, Elliott defended Gutierrez during his and called out the forum organizers as being partisan.

The fight apparently occurred on a stairway leading to the parking lot, video shows.

An attorney for the police department declined to release a police report or body camera footage, citing exemptions under public records laws and the ongoing investigation.

West Covina is roughly 20 miles east of downtown Los Angeles.