WRENTHAM - Neither Selectman Robert Cohen nor Selectman John Zizza will face charges stemming from a heated encounter in a town hall restroom in June.

Wrentham District Court Clerk Magistrate Edward Doherty declined to issue criminal complaints against the selectmen during a hearing Wednesday.

Police had filed complaint applications after interviewing both selectmen.

Zizza said Doherty's ruling disappointed him - and that he plans to air his side of the story on Wrentham Cable 8.

"I would've been much happier if both complaints went forward, because I would've been able to provide evidence that (Cohen's) entire police report was a fraud," Zizza said. "I think the public needs to see it after all the slanderous things he said about me."

Cohen, on the other hand, said he "couldn't be happier" with Doherty's ruling.

"I think this situation has embarrassed Wrentham enough, and it's time to put it past us and move forward," Cohen said.

Cohen and Zizza said Doherty invited them to resolve their differences.

Zizza declined.

"One of us has a truthful police report," Zizza said.

Cohen accepted Doherty's invitation.

"I forgave John for falsely accusing me of assaulting him," Cohen said.

Told of Zizza's plans to speak out on Cable 8, Cohen said that that's "his right as a private citizen."

Zizza and Cohen had an expletive-laden exchange during the June 3 selectmen's meeting. Earlier during the meeting, Cohen had complained to the board that Zizza had looked into his campaign nomination forms, implying that they might have included forged signatures.

The allegations of forgeries continued between the selectmen in the restroom, and apparently escalated, with Zizza telling police that Cohen verbally threatened him, then "stepped very abruptly towards him and almost touched him with his chest," according to the police report.

Zizza told police, according to the report, that "he felt he was in fear of Cohen attempting to harm him during the entire conversation."