Lewiston City Manager Alan C. Nygaard pleaded innocent to a misdemeanor battery charge earlier this week and has a pretrial hearing set for Oct. 13 in Nez Perce County Magistrate Court.
Nygaard was accused of misdemeanor battery in a citizen citation by Lewiston resident Wilson Boots for an alleged incident at a July city council meeting about a face mask advisory.
Nygaard said the incident occurred when Boots and a woman were standing in the doorway and he asked Boots to move so he could get through. Boots did not move, so he tried to squeeze past.
“I brushed against Mr. Boots as I went through the doorway,” Nygaard said in a statement after he was served with the citation. “This is the incident Mr. Boots is calling battery.”
Boots signed the citation Sept. 1, and it was witnessed by Nez Perce County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Patrick Santos. The citation was served to Nygaard about two weeks ago. He pleaded innocent Tuesday.
Citizen citations are allowed under an Idaho court rule that states “the uniform citation may be signed by any person in whose presence an alleged offense occurred and be witnessed by a peace officer whose name shall be endorsed on the citation.”
