It is almost never a newsworthy item when an minor physical altercation occurs with little or no injury and no charges are filed.
But that is not the case when the two people happen to be elected and appointed officials of a municipality, and one is accused — but not charged — with striking the other during a heated exchange fueled by both parties.
Such an incident did occur in Tyrone on Sept. 18 at the close of the Founders Day celebration when Tyrone Town Councilman Ken Matthews and Tyrone Planning Commissioner Mike Sanak got into a shouting match at Handley Park that briefly turned physical. The incident ended rather quickly with both men subsequently apologizing. And while police were called and an incident report was taken, neither man has asked that charges be filed against the other.
Community rumors aside and to try to make sense of the Founders Day fracas between two town representatives, The Citizen requested a copy of the incident report and spoke with both Matthews and Sanak to hear what they had to say. The accounts of both men have a number of similarities and a few substantive differences.
The incident occurred at Handley Park on Sept. 18 between 5:33 p.m. and 5:55 p.m. The Tyrone Police incident report form lists Matthews as the victim and Sanak as the offender. The report’s narrative was based on Matthews’ comments to the officer, as Sanak had left the area by the time the officer was summoned.
The police report’s narrative noted that the officer’s call to the scene was in reference to a verbal domestic call. Upon his arrival, the officer was told by Matthews that Sanak “had been out there and caused a disturbance,” the report said.
“Mr. Sanak wanted to drive his vehicle where the rides were and Mr. Matthews told him he could not,” the report said. “He drove his vehicle past Mr. Matthews who grabbed onto the car door. Mr. Matthews said the car door banged against the city golf cart. Mr. Matthews said when Mr. Sanak was leaving that he was pushed twice by Mr. Sanak. Mr. Matthews said he lightly slapped Mr. Sanak on the back of his head to get him off of him. Mr. Matthews said Mr. Sanak then left.”
The report indicated that Matthews did not want to press charges.
Chief Brandon Perkins on Thursday said that Sanak said he did not want to press charges.
For his part, Matthews on Thursday told The Citizen that he had been at the event in his capacity as a town council member and as a volunteer. The incident began as Matthews had been picking up trash and was sitting on the town’s four-wheeler in the vicinity of the gated area where the festival activities were being held. Matthews said Sanak approached the gated area in his car. Matthews said he told Sanak not to go into the area since festival patrons were still on site. Sanak said he was going in anyway, Matthews said, adding that at that point he grabbed the door handle on Sanak’s car to get his attention. At that point the door came open and scraped the town’s four-wheeler on which Matthews had been sitting. Neither vehicle was damaged, Matthews said.
Matthews went on to say that Sanak got out of his vehicle and he got off the four-wheeler. Matthews said Sanak began threatening and cursing and was told to get back in his vehicle. With both men standing in proximity to the other, Matthews said Sanak began yelling and he yelled back, Sanak began pushing and he pushed back. Matthews said at one point he responded reflexively to being pushed by extending his arm that came up behind the right side of Sanak’s face and lightly slapped him near the back of neck and head.
Matthews said the shouting continued but that Sanak got in his vehicle and drove into the festival area, picked up the items he came for and drove away.
Matthews said that later that day Sanak emailed him and apologized, adding that he, too emailed an apology to Sanak.
“We both formally apologized,” Matthews said. “It was unprofessional on my part to get in an argument, and in one that led to pushing. On his part, he took the higher ground and was the first to apologize.”
Contacted Thursday, Sanak’s version of the incident was somewhat different.
A Cub Scout Master for Troop 79, Sanak said at 5:30 p.m. on the last day of Founders Day he had been at the scout’s tent in the festival area where he took the tent down and carried some of the items to his car. Noting that one woman had already driven her vehicle into the festival area, Sanak said he intended to drive his car to the tent site to load some of the heavier and more bulky items.
Sanak said Matthews met him in route to the area. Sanak maintains that Matthews told him he could not drive his vehicle into the festival area. Sanak said he began to pull his vehicle forward in order to turn around but was not given a chance to do so as Matthews grabbed the driver’s door and pulled it open, subsequently slamming it against the four-wheeler and scratching the car door.
Sanak said he came out of the car and “got in his face, cursing like a sailor.” It was a display that Sanak said was unfortunate and something that he should not have done.
The two men proceeded to yell at each other, Sanak said, with the planning commissioner, his finger in the town councilman’s face, telling him not to hit has car again.
Matthews, according to Sanak, said he was the chief official at the festival and represented the town. Sanak said he, too, was on the town’s payroll and was a representative of the town.
The words continued, Sanak said, and “he took a swing at me and hit me in the jaw with his fist.”
Sanak said he grabbed both of Matthews’ arms and told him he had taken his free shot and not to do that again. Sanak said he released the grip and Matthews said, “just go on.”
Sanak said he drove to the tent area, packed up the items to be removed from the festival and left the park. Upon arriving home, Sanak said he sent an email to the mayor, council members and town manager apologizing for his action that was unprofessional and childish. Sanak said he also wrote a letter to Matthews apologizing.
Sanak said Matthews responded with an email of his own, saying that he accepted the apology but made no apology. Sanak added that in the past few days Matthews sent another email formally apologizing.
“I would have left (prior to the incident) if I’d been given the opportunity to turn (the car) around,” Sanak said.
Sanak at press time had not provided a written statement to police and neither party to the incident has asked that charges be filed.
