Following accusations made by Blue Ridge Councilman Nathan Fitts of a criminal threat made by Councilman Mike Panter against Fitts during a February 9 council meeting, Fitts said, “There will be action regarding it, however, per the advice of my attorney, I’m letting him handle these things because it’s so complex.”
That said, there are currently no formal reports of the threat through the City of Blue Ridge, according to interim Chief of Police Rob Stuart.
During the council meeting, Fitts claimed Panter threatened, in private conversation with Councilwoman Rhonda Haight, to “drag me out of the council meeting by the hair and beat me up.”
Panter did not comment on the claim of threat during the meeting.
Fitts later announced that he had “a written affidavit, and it’s been reported to law authorities.”
Stuart did note that Fitts had texted him in regards to the issue.
“Due to the legal issues it entails, it is not even subject to the Open Records Act, and the attorney for Rhonda and I has addressed this with the city council members, the mayor and the city attorney via written documentation and certified letter,” Fitts said in an email.