Centralia mayor’s son ticketed for alleged misdemeanor assault against grocery store employee

EDITOR'S NOTE: Capt. Brian Leer's title has been corrected and the circumstances of the incident have been clarified.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

County deputies wrote the son of Centralia's mayor a ticket to appear in court on a misdemeanor assault charge stemming from an argument with a grocery store employee over police department turmoil, the Boone County Sheriff's Department said.

Capt. Brian Leer said deputies issued a summons to Chad Cox, son of Mayor Chris Cox, for fourth-degree assault after a person said Cox confronted the Prenger Foods employee. The confrontation was allegedly over comments the person possibly made to local media about the police department, Leer said. The sheriff's department was called to investigate, Leer said.

Several officers have left the small department in recent weeks, including former chief Bob Bias. The city said Thursday that two more officers submitted their resignations.

Leer stressed that the confrontation was not physical in nature but the person Chad Cox confronted said they were in fear of a physical confrontation.

Attempts to reach Chad Cox on Thursday were unsuccessful.