Mayor Will Flanagan of Fall River is denying reports that he attempted to intimidate a city councilor after the councilor signed a petition that could remove Flanagan from office.

Councilor Jasiel Correia II told the Herald News he met with Mayor Flanagan in the mayor's car on the night of Aug. 14. During a drive around the city with an unidentified man in the back seat the mayor said he was disappointed with Correia for signing a recall petition that could lead to a recall election that could remove Flanagan from office. The mayor asked Correia to contact the Herald News and claim he was pressured into signing the recall petition by the organizers, but Correia said he wasn't pressured by anyone.

Correia said during the conversation, the mayor pulled a handgun from his waistband, and said, "I never leave home without it."

When questioned by the paper, the mayor didn't deny the meeting, but said he never pulled the gun from his waistband. Flanagan says he suggested to Correia that he should get a permit for a handgun to protect himself. Correia says the conversation ended when he agreed to consider the mayor's request.

The police chief says Correia has yet to file a criminal complaint, but could still do so if he wished.

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