Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler reportedly sprayed a man who approached him after lunch at a local pub Sunday night.
Wheeler was with former Portland Mayor Sam Adams when a man confronted them in front of McMenamins Hillsdale Brewery & Public House, according to a police report obtained by The Oregonian.
The man complained that Wheeler and Adams were not wearing masks when they ate.
The two had been in the restaurant shop and Wheeler explained to the man that no masks are needed during the meal, KOIN reported.
While recording with the cell phone, the man, who had no mask, followed Wheeler to his car.
“I was imminently concerned about my personal safety,” Wheeler later told authorities, as detailed in the police report.
Wheeler told the man to retire, but he refused.
“I informed him that he was carrying pepper spray and that he would use it if he did not back down. It remained a short distance away, I removed the pepper spray and sprayed it on my eyes, ”the mayor said in the report.
In a statement to the Oregonian, Wheeler spokesman Tim Becker acknowledged the incident.
“The mayor collaborates with the police investigation and encourages others involved to do the same,” Becker said.
Sunday night was the second time this month that Wheeler faced off while eating.
He was punched in the face while having dinner at Café Nell on January 6th.