Stephen Gomula, candidate for fourth ward alderman, commented today on an incident which happened in 2003 that resulted in him serving a 30-day jail term on a charge of second degree menacing, which is a Class A misdemeanor. Gomula confirmed that during his time as a Montgomery County Deputy Sheriff, he was involved in an argument with another man while off-duty. At one point in the argument, Gomula drew his service revolver and aimed at the other man in a threatening manner, and then lowered it. After an investigation into the incident, Gomula pleaded guilty to the charge of menacing and he later resigned from the sheriff’s department. According to Gomula, he enlisted in the U.S. Army eight months later.
Citing his 15 years of service as an emergency medical technician and ten years of service in armed forces, Gomula wrote in a statement today, “15 years ago, I had one altercation in the heat of the moment. I believe that it’s just not fair to forget the years of service to others based on one momentary lapse in judgement 15 years ago. I believe that we cannot condemn a man for life over this. I have learned from my mistake of the past and resolve to serve our city and to be an example of resilience for every single person that has ever made a mistake.”
In September, Gomula was appointed by the Montgomery County Republican Committee to appear on the Republican party line for fourth ward alderman on this November’s ballot.
