A Republican mayor in Atlantic County was charged with various crimes after he allegedly pulled a gun on a woman over a parking lot dispute outside a high school where he was working as a sporting event referee.
Northfield Mayor Erland V. Chau is accused of brandishing a starter pistol at a woman during a verbal altercation in the parking lot of Mainland Regional High, where he serves as a high school sports track and field official affiliated with the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).
According to Linwood Police Sgt. Timothy Devine, detectives charged the 72-year-old mayor with possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, disorderly conduct, and harassment, after an investigation into “an incident that occurred” outside the school at about 4 p.m. on Oct. 1.
Chau, who is affiliated with the Republican Party, is charged with one fourth-degree crime, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, along with disorderly person counts of disorderly conduct and harassment, Linwood police said.
“This sort of behavior is completely unacceptable. Threats are never ok, let alone with a weapon. Erland Chau needs to resign as mayor immediately; he is unfit for public office,” said Atlantic County GOP Chair Don Purdy, who called on Chau to resign.
“I understand that he was at the school in his capacity as a track and field official, but Chau did not display good sportsmanship or even civilized behavior, but fortunately, his emotional outburst did not result in injury or death,” said Lisa McCormick. “Chau should quit or be suspended from the NJSIAA, and this incident calls into question his ability to lead the community while occupied by his criminal defense.”
By stepping aside, Chau would put his constituents first, said McCormick, who noted that the GOP political boss’ call for his resignation reeks of hypocrisy.
“Don Purdy was a Republican convention delegate who supported the disgraced, neo-fascist, twice-impeached, adjudicated rapist and criminal Donald Trump as the GOP nominee for president,” said McCormick. “He rightfully believes it is wrong to pull a gun over a parking spot but Purdy does not have a problem with Trump’s lying, cheating, or inciting a mob of terrorists to attack our government in a failed coup d’etat.”
“Trump is a deceitful and treasonous liar whose word is worthless and whose return to the White House could be catastrophic for the United States and the world, while Mayor Erland Chau pulled a gun on a woman over a parking dispute, but Atlantic County’s Republican political boss only has a problem with one of those people,” said McCormick, who is best known for taking nearly four in ten votes cast away from disgraced former US Senator Bob Menendez in the 2018 Democratic primary election.
McCormick questioned why Purdy had not joined patriotic Republicans like former Vice President Dick Cheney who are opposing a return to power for the twice-impeached, four-time indicted, insurrection-inciting, criminal convict who remains accused of espionage
Chau did not comment on the incident, which happened on Oct. 1, when the conservative Republican serving in a nonpartisan seat told police he was backing out of his parking spot, when the woman blocked him in, according to the affidavit of probable cause.
Chau has lived in Northfield for more than six decades and has been involved in the local government for more than three decades. He was re-elected with 58 percent of the vote in the nonpartisan Northfield mayoral race almost one year ago.
The former science teacher was a city councilman for 23 years before he was elected mayor. He also served as a member of the Northfield Zoning Board and Northfield Board of Education, for four years on each. Chau also served on the New Jersey Education Association’s Atlantic County Council of Education Associations and he has been an active member of the Northfield Volunteer Fire for 50 years.
Northfield, a community in Atlantic County, is situated approximately seven miles west of Atlantic City and shares borders with Pleasantville, Egg Harbor Township, and Linwood.
Chau earned a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from Jacksonville University, his New Jersey teaching certificate from Glassboro State College (now Rowan University) and a master’s degree in education from Mary Grove College in Detroit, Mich.
He got out of the vehicle wearing an NJSIAA-issued referee jacket that he wears as a cross country official, the affidavit states. Chau said he took the starter pistol out of his back seat “in an attempt to gain credibility with the (woman).”
The woman reported the situation to the school’s security official, believing that the pistol was a real gun, and they called the municipal police.
The starter pistol allegedly brandished by Chau was described as “a matte chrome-colored 6-shot revolver with a wood-grain looking handle,” according to the police report.
Security Officer Jose Echevarria called police for the report of a man with a firearm. While police were responding at the school, Chau was at the Linwood Police Department giving his version of events, according to the affidavit
The incident, which was not detailed, allegedly happened Oct. 1. He was charged on a summons Friday, and released.
Chau could not be reached for comment.
He has been on medical leave since Monday, according to the City Clerk’s Office.
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