Hopewell city attorney on assault claim: Not his job to 'get crossways' with councilors
Hopewell's city attorney says it is not his place 'to get crossways' with anyone on City Council because they are all his clients, but he added that he plans to answer a charge of assault being brought against him by a councilor following a brief confrontation at a contentious meeting earlier this week.
In a telephone interview May 16 with The Progress-Index, Anthony Bessette said it was 'on video and in clear view of the public' what transpired at the May 13 meeting between him and Ward 7 Councilor Dominic Holloway. Bessette said he planned to go to the Hopewell Police headquarters on the morning of May 19 to personally receive the summons.
According to a livestream of the meeting and video shot by The Progress-Index, Holloway took offense to Bessette putting his hand on Holloway's arm as the councilor reached over to point something out to him. At the time, Bessette was wearing multiple hats as council's legal advisor, parliamentarian, and clerk – the latter after council fired Brittani Williams and City Manager Dr. Concetta Manker on May 1 in a decision that has rocked Hopewell and prompted mass calls for resignations of four councilors.
The confrontation happened when a group called the Party of Socialism & Liberation – which earlier had protested outside the Municipal Building in support of Manker and Williams – stood up and began chanting for City Council to reinstate the two women.
➤ See the video at the top of this story.
As Hopewell deputies escorted the protesters out, Holloway stood up as a sign to oppose Mayor Johnny Partin Jr.'s efforts to shut down his proclaimed 'point of personal privilege.' While Partin was attempting to move on with the meeting agenda, Holloway continued to stand and leaned over to point out on Bessette's computer that he was within his rights to continue speaking.
At about the 1:19 mark of The Progress-Index video, Bessette can be seen trying to place his hand on Holloway's outstretched arm.
'Don't touch me, sir. That is an assault,' Holloway told Bessette. 'You just touched me. You just assaulted me. Do not touch me, sir.'
As Bessette withdrew his hand, Holloway said he was in the middle of his personal privilege.
'Did you just grab me?' Holloway asked again.
Meanwhile, Partin was banging his gavel and telling Holloway to sit down.
'You have been overruled by the parliamentarian,' the mayor said.
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In the moments prior to the confrontation, Holloway and Bessette had several verbal back-and-forths over Holloway's quizzing about proper meeting procedure.
According to Robert's Rule of Order, which Hopewell and most other governing bodies follow on conduct of government meetings, a 'point of personal privilege' can be brought up at any time by any member. No debate or discussion of issues can be held while a point is raised.
Holloway invoked the point because he sought clarity on whether Ward 4 Councilor Ronnie Ellis – a battalion chief with the Hopewell Fire Department – had acted in conflict of interest for voting to fire Manker, his de facto boss. In that position, Ellis is considered second-in-command of the department and at any given time could be called upon to act as the department head, therefore making him accountable to Manker as city manager.
Bessette ruled that the issue needed to be addressed as a separate matter on the council agenda, and the council majority did not seem interested in amending the agenda to allow it.
That prompted Holloway to repeat previous allegations that Bessette is part of a 'small coup' by council's White majority to quell advancement of Black citizens either in government jobs or on City Council.
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In conversation with The Progress-Index, Bessette said he had not yet received the summons but planned to receive it first thing on the morning of May 19. In the meantime, Bessette said the incident 'is on video and in clear view of the public,' and they can see for themselves what happened.
'Councilor Holloway is one-seventh of my clients, and I serve council as a whole,' Bessette said. 'It is not my place in any way to confront or get crossways with any councilor.'
Bessette joined Hopewell as city attorney last February. A former senior assistant county attorney in Albemarle, he was the only one who interviewed for the position.
The city attorney is one of three Hopewell employees who report directly to City Council. The others are city manager and city clerk.
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Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) is an award-winning journalist who covers breaking news, government and politics. Reach him at batkinson@progress-index.com or on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @BAtkinson_PI.
This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Hopewell city attorney facing assault claim from councilor after meeting
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