[van id=”van/ns-acc/2017/07/21/SE-002FR_CNNA-ST1-1000000004172253″]
STATESVILLE, N.C. – Eyewitness News obtained audio from a closed-door meeting that gives more insight into a violent confrontation between Statesville City Council members in June.
Jarrod Phifer and Roy West had been disagreeing over a proposal before things came to a head in the meeting. In the recording, you can hear West threaten Phifer about an op-ed he wrote in the local paper.
“Next time you put me in the paper,” West said.
“All right. Do something do something,” Phifer said.
“You want your (expletive) kicked by a 69-year-old man. Do it again, son of a (expletive),” West said.
“Do it, do it,” Phifer said. “I got a got a grandpa that’ll put you down. Do it.”
Seconds after that exchange, you can hear the sounds of furniture moving and bodies scrambling.
“Hit me, hit me,” Phifer said.
“It makes me very angry,” lifelong resident Karen Keaton said while listening to the audio.
The drama is disheartening for residents like Keaton.
“These are two men who we are putting our trust in to lead this city,” Keaton said.
That’s why it’s even more shocking to hear West take a jab at Phifer’s upbringing.
“Your parents would be proud of you if you knew who they were,” West said.
“Say what?” Phifer said. “What is wrong with you? You racist (expletive).”
An unidentified council member can also be heard saying, “If for nothing else, we have guests from out of town. Can ya’ll shut the (expletive) up for a minute.”
The incident was so disturbing that Councilman C.O. Jap Johnson said he believes both should leave their positions.
“I think both of them should resign because it’s going to be hard to come together,” Johnson said over the phone.
Some residents worry the drama is distracting from the progress the city is trying to make.
“I’d really hate for folks to get a bad rap on Statesville because we’re a wonderful town.” Stewart Kincaid said.
The day after the incident, West’s attorney told Eyewitness News that the confrontation left him with a fractured knee. Phifer took out citizen’s arrest warrants on West. West is due in court in Iredell County on July 27.
Eyewitness News tried to contact West for comment, but he has not responded.
Phifer’s attorney said he is considering taking further civil action. The two men agreed not to harass each other or contact one another outside of city business in a no-contact order. Council members said that since the incident, they do not attend meetings together.
Several othercouncil members responded to our requests but declined making formal comments because of pending legal actions. Many called the situation unfortunate and embarrassing.
