EDGEWATER, Fla. – A video provided to News 6 appears to show an encounter involving Edgewater Mayor Diezel Depew and a person supporting another candidate in the Edgewater mayoral race.
According to New Smyrna Beach police reports, the encounter happened at the New Smyrna Beach Public Library during a dispute over the placement of campaign signs.
Police provided News 6 with two reports related to the incident.
In the initial report, an officer said he saw a campaign sign Depew was holding come close to a person’s face but could not confirm whether the sign made contact with the person’s body.
A second report, filed by a different officer the following day, states the person involved claimed she was struck by the sign after Depew placed it in the ground and pushed it against her body.
Depew provided News 6 with cellphone video showing moments leading up to the encounter.
Depew denied that the incident reflected his character and called the allegations politically motivated.
“The residents know that this is not my character,” Depew said. “I’ve fought for them for the past four years.”
Depew also said he believes residents should not get caught up in what he described as political attacks.
The person involved in the incident and the candidate she was supporting were contacted by News 6 for comment. Neither had responded at the time of publication.
Depew is currently running for reelection as Edgewater’s mayor. He has served as mayor for more than three years and was elected at age 18, making him the youngest elected official in Florida at the time.
As of Tuesday, Depew has not been officially charged in connection with the incident, according to New Smyrna Beach police.
Police said the case is being forwarded to the State Attorney’s Office for review. News 6 confirmed the office will further review the case.
News 6 will continue to follow the case as it moves forward.