Violence breaks out at town hall meeting in Southern California

A brawl broke out in the city of West Covina Tuesday night involving candidates in two municipal elections.

The bizarre scene unfolded shortly before 8 p.mTHE The San Gabriel Valley Tribune reportedwhile a meeting of the Planning Commission was in progress.

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

Shewmaker is challenging Diaz for District 3 City Council seat, while Bennett is running 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. We have no further comment at this time.”

Those involved in the brawl were in council chambers during the public comment period of Tuesday’s commission meeting.

The Tribune reported that several attendees criticized Brian Gutierrez, a planning commissioner and candidate for the District 1 seat on the City Council, for his absence from an Oct. 9 candidate forum organized by residents. Speaking to the committee, Elliott defended Gutierrez during his time and called the forum’s organizers partisan.

The fight apparently took place on a staircase leading to the car park, video shows.

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

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