Syracuse Common Councilor Amir Gethers was arrested Wednesday and charged with criminal obstruction of breathing and second-degree harassment.
Gethers was later arraigned and released. Both charges are misdemeanors.
He did not attend Wednesday’s Syracuse Common Council meeting. Gethers also works in Onondaga County’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
Gethers was elected to the Common Council in 2021 to a four-year, at-large term. He is the youngest Black councilor in the legislative body’s history.
A woman called police about Gethers at about 8 a.m. and again at 9:23 a.m. on Wednesday.
The woman, who previously dated Gethers, alleged he choked her twice in about a week, according to the statement she gave to a Syracuse police officer.
The woman told the officer she was sleeping in bed on Sunday when Gethers asked her, ‘Who the f— is (name redacted)?’ and began choking her. Gethers then stopped, the woman alleged to the officer.
She told the officer Gethers again tried to choke her on Wednesday.
The woman told the officer she did not want charges pressed against Gethers because she didn’t want to “ruin his name,” according to the statement.
She also asked for an order of protection against Gethers, however she wanted Gethers to be able to see his daughter, according to the statement the woman gave police.
At Gethers’ arraignment on Wednesday, the judge issued an order of protection and required that Gethers give up any guns he owns.
Editor’s note: This story was updated with new information about the allegations against Gethers after he appeared in court.
