Wed, Mar. 09, 2011

BY Laura Isensee
The Miami Herald

 

Dropping the F-bomb and threats to “take it outside” may sound like the start of a schoolyard brawl.

But this squabble involved two Miami Lakes politicians and happened in the bathroom during a break in the Tuesday night council meeting.

Both elected officials — Councilman Richard Pulido and Vice Mayor Nick Perdomo — claim the other made physical threats laced with cuss words.

Pulido said Perdomo threatened to beat him up while he was washing his hands. Perdomo also claims Pulido threatened him with a thrashing in the men’s room.

According to Pulido, his colleague on the dais lost his cool because he felt Pulido had slighted him during the Tuesday meeting to discuss a development deal on Northwest 87th Avenue.

After the meeting, the councilmen were still taking verbal swipes.

“We’re not thugs. We should act like public officials. We’re not conducting business like we’re in a third-world country,” Pulido told the Herald.

Perdomo — who runs a family cigar business with operations in Nicaragua — said Pulido started it.

“I’m way too successful to get into it with a two-bit school teacher who makes $20,000,” said Perdomo. “To me, this stuff doesn’t get under my skin.” Pulido is an adjunct professor at St. Thomas University and a high school administrator at a private Broward school.

The meeting took place at a community center in the tree-lined northwest Miami-Dade municipality.

A few dozen residents, in addition to the developer and his attorneys, had turned out to the 6:30 p.m. meeting.

During a break, Perdomo and Pulido both apparently headed to the restroom.

According to his police statement, Pulido said Perdomo said he’d “knock my f---ing head off.”

On Wednesday, Perdomo filed his own statement, reporting Pulido bragged he was “old school,” dropped the F-bomb and threatened to “kick my ass” in the men’s room.

At least one resident, Claudia Luces, heard Perdomo outside the bathroom tell Pulido “let’s take it oustide.”

“I realized there was some tension and I should get out of the way just in case,” Luces said.

The bathroom row didn’t come to blows. Nor did it disrupt the council meeting. (After the break, the officials discussed business signs, a town Facebook page and summer programs for kids.)

Miami-Dade police are treating the matter as a “verbal dispute” and were taking statements on Wednesday, said police spokesman Robert Williams. Williams said the full police report was not available Wednesday.

What started the latest fight isn’t clear.

Pulido said he made a comment on the dais about town employees going to officials’ business office to review town matters, which Perdomo took as a dig.

But the fight may be far from over.

Perdomo said he planned to file a lawsuit and considered what happened “an assault.”

Meanwhile, Pulido said his complaint would go to the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office.

 

LINK TO PHOTO OF COUNCILMAN: