ATTLEBORO - In his third brush with the law this year, City Councilor Jonathan Weydt will be summonsed to court for allegedly hurling a newspaper at a store clerk last Sunday after becoming angry when she refused to sell him cigarettes.
The paper hit her in the neck according to a police report on the incident, which occurred around 8 a.m. in the Cumberland Farms store at Briggs Corner.
City police have charged Weydt, 50, with two counts of assault and battery and one count each of disturbing the peace and disorderly conduct.
The second assault charge resulted when Weydt allegedly touched the clerk's face when he threw money at her in the store parking lot.
The two-term Ward 4 councilor did not return two calls made to his cellphone Wednesday seeking comment on the incident.
The alleged assaults took place after Weydt became angry when the clerk, Nyomi Marks, 33, of Pawtucket, refused to sell him cigarettes because she suspected he planned to give them to a young man who tried to buy cigarettes moments before, but was denied because he could not prove he was 18, according to a police report.
The clerk told police that Weydt "yelled and screamed" at her and called her names, including "bitch."
Police said a video taken by security cameras in the store caught the incident on tape. There was no audio.
Shortly after, the clerk went outside to write down the license plate number of Weydt's truck that was parked at the gas pumps.
At that point, he allegedly threw dollar bills at her and brushed her face with his hand in the process.
A store employee called police, but Weydt was gone when they arrived and he was not at home when they went to his house.
However, police were able to contact him by phone and Weydt went to the police station around 2:40 p.m. to talk about the incident.
Weydt was read his "Miranda rights" regarding access to a lawyer, and was asked to give his version of events, which he declined to do, police said.
According to the report, Weydt admitted he became angry and threw money at the clerk, but said it was when he bought the newspaper.
It's the third incident that has brought Weydt in contact with the law this year.
The two previous times involved minor violations.
The first occurred in February when Weydt was given a $30 ticket for failing to strap his 2-year-old daughter in a child safety seat while driving.
Weydt grew angry at the police officer during that incident and allegedly tried to intimidate him by threatening to call Police Chief Kyle Heagney. He also stated that he knew a number of police officers, as well as people in the court system.
Last month, police were called by one of Weydt's neighbors who complained that the councilor was allowing his dog to run loose and that the dog had dug a hole in his yard.
Again, Weydt allegedly became irate and, according to police, was "looking for a confrontation."
Police issued the councilor a warning for violating the city's leash law after that incident.
In March, Weydt was reprimanded by City Council President Frank Cook after he extended his middle finger in an obscene gesture toward a colleague he disagreed with during a meeting.
And several weeks ago, he and colleague Walter Thibodeau got into a shouting match on the council floor just before a meeting was to begin.
Heagney said Weydt's appearance before a judge in the latest incident will be scheduled by the court, and might be weeks away. It's possible his appearance will be moved to a court other than Attleboro District Court, he said.
Patrolmen Joseph Rebelo and Scott Charette were the investigating officers.
