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Syracuse police arrested Common Councilor Amir Gethers Wednesday morning, according to the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office website.

The Syracuse Police Department responded to a physical domestic violence call just after 8 a.m., syracuse.com reported. The police booked Gethers at 5:10 p.m., according to county records.

The woman who reported Gethers said she was his girlfriend, according to Syracuse.com. She also said that Gethers owned a gun, but that she was unaware if he was in possession of it. Gethers did not appear at Wednesday’s Common Council meeting later that day.

He was charged with criminal obstruction of breathing, or intentionally obstructing someone’s ability to breathe, as well as second-degree harassment, which includes physical violence, such as shoving and kicking, against a family member or member of the person’s household, according to New York state’s penal code. Both charges are class A misdemeanors.

Gethers, who is 27 years old, was elected to the Common Council in 2021 for an at-large seat. He was also a contract compliance officer for Onondaga County and the youngest Black man to ever be elected to the Common Council, syracuse.com reported. He won the seat with 28% of the vote.

According to the Syracuse City Charter, the common council can remove one of its members from office for “official misconduct” with a three-fourth vote from the entire council. Before the council can remove a member, it must grant the person a hearing in their defense. Gethers’ term is set to expire on Dec. 31, 2025.

News Editor Kyle Chouinard contributed reporting to this article.

Published on September 21, 2022 at 11:04 pm

Contact Danny: ddamron@syr.edu | @dannyamron_