Wednesday, April 9, 2008

I just want to let you know I'm okay ...

Those were the first words Nick spoke to me while on the phone with him at work today.

"You're okay, well, what was wrong?" I asked.

"Well, I got jumped at a meeting today ..." was his response.

WHAT???????!!!!!!!!!!!

I thought Nick was playing some kind of belated April Fool's joke on me, but no, my husband really did get attacked this afternoon.

Thankfully, he's okay. Because Nick wasn't hurt, this hopefully becomes one of those stories - alarming as it is - we eventually find humor in.

"Remember how that crazy guy tried to take you down but instead gave a Congressman a shiner?" we'll joke.

And that's the only way I want that moment to be remembered because if that fight would have ended any other way - if the guy had a weapon or .... well, I don't even want to think about it.

I love you babe and I'm glad you weren't hurt!

My hubby


THE STAR PRESS: Republican staffer attacks reporter

A Republican voter registration deputy faces battery charges after he tackled a newspaper reporter and hit the Democratic 6th District congressional candidate after a contentious Delaware County Election Board meeting this afternoon.

The meeting had just ended when Will Statom, GOP registration deputy and secretary of the local Republican Party, attacked Star Press reporter Nick Werner while Werner was interviewing Ball State University student Johanna Perez about hundreds of last-minute voter registrations for Democrat Barack Obama’s campaign.

“He did not seem very happy that we were stating our opinions,” Perez said afterwards about Statom.

Werner said Statom seemed critical of his reporting, sarcastically saying to make sure he screwed up the story again.

Statom had just walked past Werner when Statom turned around and pushed Werner against the wall, grabbed him and they fell to the ground, according to witnesses.

Barry A. Welsh, Democratic 6th district congressional candidate, who attended the meeting, stepped in, and Statom turned around and hit Welsh in the eye.

“When Nick went to the floor, I tried to break it up,” Welsh said.

County sheriff’s deputies then stepped in and broke up the fight outside the commissioner’s courtroom in the third floor of the county building. More deputies arrived when 911 dispatch informed police of an emergency in the county building involving a scuffle outside of the commissioners office.

Statom refused to comment when he walked out of the county building. He was taken into custody of county sheriff’s deputies.

Sheriff’s investigator Todd Daily said Statom was interviewed, and would be booked on battery charges, based on a battery affidavit signed by Werner.

2 comments:

Amanda Reynolds said...

wow, that's crazy! I'm so glad he's ok :)

Gail said...

So since my husband got "jumped" on Wednesday, he's fielded quite a few media calls. But it wasn't until Friday that the paper's editor granted him permission to respond to the inquiries for "his take" on what happened.

The student news station here at Ball State had this interview with him and I'm quite proud of Nick - both for his responses and well..'cause he's a cutie! ;)

http://www.newslinkindiana.com/index.php?src=news&refno=1692&category=Top%20Story