Marietta Councilman Called Cops On Former Council Candidate After Handshake

MARIETTA, GA — A Marietta city councilman is accused of screaming at a former candidate for his seat and calling the police on her after she touched him and greeted him at an event at a senior housing complex Thursday morning, two people involved told the Marietta Daily Journal.

Cristina Stallworth, a real estate agent who ran for the Ward 5 City Council seat in the Nov. 2 election, said she was at The Retreat at Dorsey Manor to campaign alongside M. Carlyle Kent, who is in the runoff election for the Ward 5 seat against Councilman Reggie Copeland. Stallworth finished third on Nov. 2, so she did not advance to the runoff.

Stallworth told the MDJ she tapped Copeland, who was at the event, on the shoulder to say hello. She said he then started screaming at her, told her she was not his friend and told her not to touch him. Kent confirmed Stallworth's story to the MDJ.

Police arrived shortly afterward to see if further investigation was necessary, Marietta Police Department spokesperson Chuck McPhilamy told the news outlet.

An incident report obtained by Patch said while Stallworth was shaking hands with Copeland, she "clinched on to his arm" and Copeland wanted police to address the "unwelcomed touching" with her.

After speaking with Stallworth, police said she confirmed she did grab his arm but "didn't mean to cause any harm and that it wasn't done in a manner to cause ill content," the report said. The responding officer advised her that the grab was unwelcome and he did not want to be touched again.

Copeland did not press charges, he "advised us that he just wanted the incident documented," the report said.