BATAVIA, Ohio — A Village of Batavia council member has pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct after he was accused of punching a man following a public meeting last week.
The Clermont County Sheriff's Office charged Michael Gardner, a former Batavia police chief, with assault after officials said he followed a resident who addressed council outside of the Batavia Village Administration Building on Monday, March 23, and physically assaulted him.
A criminal complaint reported that the resident, identified as William Albright, held his middle finger up at Gardner. The two then left the room, leading to the altercation.
“He told me, 'Flip me off again,' and I did it again, and he took a swing,” Albright said.
Watch to see video capturing the moments leading to the alleged assault:
Though initially charged with assault, Gardner on Wednesday pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of disorderly conduct.
We attempted to speak with Gardner after his initial hearing, but he said he had no comment on the matter.
We also reached out to the village for comment on the situation.
"The matter is under review by the Clermont County Sheriff's Office," a statement from the village said. "Once the review and any related investigation has been completed, any records will be provided to the extent permissible under Ohio Law."
Documents from the Village of Batavia show that Gardner has faced accusations of inappropriate behavior before.
In 2018, while Gardner was still the chief of the Batavia Police Department, a village investigation found that Gardner was drunk and disorderly while on vacation with two subordinate officers.
The council found that Gardner was guilty of administrative charges that included neglect of duty and insubordination. He voluntarily resigned at the end of that year.
Years later, Gardner was elected to the village council.
