While the RCMP have not yet weighed in on the situation, the mayor of Kamloops is alleging he was assaulted by a journalist as part of an encounter at a Kamloops pub over the weekend.

Reid Hamer-Jackson says he’s filed a complaint with the RCMP, claiming Tim Petruk — News Director for Castanet Kamloops — slapped him on the back as he was leaving Bailey’s Pub on Saturday night, claiming the contact was “not friendly.”

“When he was leaving the establishment, he hit me in the back and said ‘have a good night,'” said Hamer-Jackson of the incident in speaking with Radio NL.  “It’s just totally off-side.”

Petruk in a statement to Radio NL says there was no malice involved.

“No assault took place. I patted the Mayor on the shoulder while saying goodbye,” said Petruk of the incident at Bailey’s on Saturday night.  “I’m sure the pub has cameras showing exactly what happened.”

Petruk goes on to suggest Hamer-Jackson has ulterior motivations for taking the situation to the RCMP.

“Let’s call this what it is — the mayor is trying to use the city’s police to harass a journalist following coverage critical of his actions,” said Petruk.

Hamer-Jackson does say he has had issues with Petruk’s coverage of him during his time as the Mayor, suggesting this is part of why he feels there was malice involved in the contact.

He also refutes any suggestion that he’s trying to stifle Petruk and his coverage.

“This guy’s not friendly to me. Like I say, he calls me an idiot,” said Hamer-Jackson when asked if people might view this an effort to silence a critic through the use of the authorities.  “Anybody that would think that would be a person of less than average intelligence I believe.”

As of Monday afternoon, Petruk says he has not been contacted by Kamloops RCMP in connection with the incident.

“I have no doubt this will prove to be another baseless allegation made by the mayor and another waste of taxpayer resources getting the police to investigate another one of his petty grievances.”

Radio NL has reached out to Kamloops RCMP for any information it may be willing to provide on the incident, which Hamer-Jackson says was detailed — as was a statement from a person he was with at Bailey’s Pub that evening — on Sunday to the RCMP.