Amesbury City Councilor-at-Large Steve Stanganelli found himself in hot water over the weekend after being arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, as he reportedly confronted a parade of Donald Trump supporters, leading to a disruption in the city's downtown. According to NBC10 Boston, Stanganelli was observed by Amesbury police acting in a manner that led to his arraignment on Monday morning in Newburyport District Court.
The arrest occurred during a rolling Trump rally this past Saturday when Stanganelli was accused of screaming at the supporters and jumping onto the hood of one vehicle, an incident captured on video; he pleaded not guilty in court and contended that his actions were a matter of public safety, as several cars were reportedly failing to stop at a stop sign, he said this in an interview with Boston 25.
In a response to the events, the office of Amesbury's mayor communicated that the city does not condone behavior of this sort, stating "We understand that this is a very polarized time in politics and that emotions are running high as we prepare for the election on Tuesday. However, the city of Amesbury does not tolerate or condone behavior such as what took place on Saturday, regardless of the political climate,” reflecting a sentiment of disapproval towards the city councilor's conduct.
During the incident, all police units were dispatched to the area due to reports of a disturbance or fight, with the downtown area swamped with pedestrian traffic from a craft fair and favorable weather, creating a chaotic traffic scene which Stanganelli stepped into and for his part, the councilor explained that he had previously filed complaints about vehicles ignoring traffic rules and his proactive, and ultimately ill-fated, approach that day was consistent with his longstanding concerns over local traffic safety issues.
Stanganelli has been scheduled for a follow-up court appearance on December 11, as per his plea arrangement — in the interim, any actions regarding his position on the council would come from the City Council itself, which has legislative authority separate from the mayor's executive branch, as underscored by the mayor's office following the incident.
