An Alabama mayor was arrested after allegedly slapping a female staff member in the face during a city hall encounter captured on video.

Mike McMillan, the 64-year-old mayor of Spanish Fort, Ala., turned himself in last week following the incident, which took place sometime around Oct. 1.

McMillan, who was charged with misdemeanor harassment, has now returned to the town’s city hall after missing work last Friday due to his police booking. He has denied the charges against him. 

“I look forward to having my day in court where all the evidence will come forth, and the truth will come out,” the mayor wrote in a statement. “I am satisfied that, after a full and fair hearing, the allegations against me will be disproved, and I will be exonerated.”

It’s unclear what sparked the alleged attack, but authorities have said they have access to video from the incident. Still, it seems there may be some details missing from the footage. 

“There is some video footage that the cameras did catch,” Spanish Fort City Attorney David Conner told WALA-TV.

Under the Alabama criminal code, slapping is considered harassment rather than assault. It’s unclear how much the alleged slap may have harmed the female staff member, who remains unnamed.

Authorities have said they are not yet sure if they will release the video of the incident, as their investigation is still underway. In the meantime, some Spanish Fort residents are standing by their mayor.

“It’s shocking to me, of course, but until it’s proven, he’s innocent,” Kellie Watson, a Spanish Fort resident, told WALA-TV. “Until he’s proven guilty.”

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