A Jefferson County election commissioner who brandished a gun during an altercation after a commission meeting Thursday said he felt threatened and probably would have fired a shot had someone not stepped between the two.
Stuart Soffer, 74, retrieved a derringer pistol from his car after Theodis "Ted" Davis argued with him during an Election Commission meeting Thursday in Pine Bluff. Police said Soffer never pointed the weapon at Davis, basing their assessments on video taken of the altercation by someone attending the meeting.
"I thought he was going to take a punch at me," Soffer said about Davis. "I knew I couldn't fight him. I had no desire to be physically attacked."
Davis, 71, and other members of the public tried to discuss with commissioners Thursday evening the commissioners' recently proposed ordinance that would give the commission authority to hire and fire election coordinators, but when the discussion became heated, Soffer made a motion to adjourn. Commission Chairman Mike Adam seconded the motion, and the meeting concluded.
Soffer said he held open the door of the Main Street building where commissioners met and urged those inside to leave.
"I didn't like the looks of what was going on," Soffer said. "So I went to my car, got my derringer and put it in my pocket."
Adam said he then saw Davis charge at Soffer, who had returned near the building.
"I put my hands up and screamed something like, 'Stop,'" Adam said. "[Davis] was close enough to hit him."
Adam said Davis did not speak to Soffer.
Davis, who served as chairman of the Jefferson County Election Commission from 2013 to 2015, said he intends to pursue legal and criminal action against Soffer. He said he may file a restraining order as well.
"To threaten bodily harm is distressing to me," said Davis, an adjunct faculty member with the School of Business and Management at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. "I'm afraid of what he may do."
Davis said he intended to address commissioners during the meeting but was unable to do so when members abruptly adjourned. He said he never ran toward Soffer, despite claims by Soffer and Adam.
"For them to say that is absolutely absurd," Davis said. "I was standing by Mr. Soffer when someone yelled, 'He's got a gun.'"
One of the meeting attendees shot video of the incident. Jefferson County sheriff's office spokesman Maj. Lafayette Woods said the video shows Soffer holding the weapon by his side and never pointing it at Davis.
"The gun was held behind Stu's back," Woods said. "He never pointed it. It did not appear to be in a threatening manner. It may come down to the fact the gun was not pointed, just displayed."
Woods said Soffer has a concealed handgun permit that allows him to carry a weapon.
A Pine Bluff Police Department report includes statements from eight witnesses who said Soffer did not point the gun at Davis.
Soffer did not take the weapon into the county-owned building, Woods said.
The confrontational meeting was a continuation of discord between the commission and several residents who have clashed before, Soffer said.
Soffer said he is considering running as an independent candidate for Jefferson County judge against Hank Wilkins IV, who won the Democratic nomination for the position in March.
Adam said the Election Commission will meet again in 20 days to accept a state reimbursement. He said he intends to notify police.
"I won't start the meeting unless we have an officer there," Adam said.
Soffer is a retired Army officer who served as a firearms instructor and was trained in military law enforcement.
"I don't pull a weapon lightly," he said. "I know when you point a weapon, you intend to shoot. If [Adam] didn't step in when he did, we would have had a different situation.
"I would like nothing more than to get a piece of Ted Davis, but I don't want to go to jail."
Information for this article was contributed by John Moritz of Arkansas Online.
State Desk on 04/02/2016