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Politics

Battery claimed against Belden

The tax collector says he had a conversation with a woman at a bar, but didn't touch her.

By ABBIE VANSICKLE and JEFF TESTERMAN Times Staff Writers
Published October 20, 2006

TAMPA - Police are investigating a battery complaint at a Harbour Island restaurant involving Hillsborough County tax collector Doug Belden.

The alleged encounter took place Oct. 12, between 9 and 10 p.m., at Jackson's Bistro, a restaurant near the Westin Harbour Island Hotel, police said.

"There's an open investigation," said Maj. Bob Guidara. "We're working on an investigation, and Doug Belden is part of it."

The inquiry began about 7:30 p.m. Oct. 13, when police received a report that a battery occurred the previous night at the restaurant, said police spokesman Larry McKinnon.

Belden, 52, told a reporter he went to Jackson's that Thursday night and approached a woman with a dog who was sitting at the bar. He struck up a conversation with her.

"She alleges I hugged her dog," Belden said. "I never touched her at all."

Police declined to give specifics about the allegations, including the name of the complainant, citing an open investigation. Police spokeswoman Laura McElroy said the investigation will likely be completed today or early next week.

Hugging a dog, she said, would not constitute battery, which is the unwanted touching of a person.

Belden said he might have petted the woman's dog but never touched the woman. He said he was making conversation because, "I'm single. She was single."

He said he did not know the woman's name and had not met her previously.

Belden said he went to Jackson's with one of his supervisors, Preston Trigg, developer Bing Kearney and three friends he did not name.

The next day, a man named Chris called Belden's office, Belden said. The man said he was the woman's boyfriend and complained about the tax collector's behavior at Jackson's.

"I got a call Friday from the boyfriend who said Doug was hitting on his friend," Trigg said. "I said, 'That's kind of funny, because I was there, I was watching Doug the whole time and didn't see anything."

"Going out with Doug is like going out with a professional athlete," said Trigg. "You watch him to make sure nothing happens."

He added, "It looks like somebody's trying to hurt Doug."

Kearney was unavailable for comment.

Earlier in the week, Belden said he had not been interviewed by police and wasn't aware of an investigation.

On Wednesday, he referred a reporter to his attorney, Norman Cannella. During an interview that afternoon at his office, Cannella said Belden retained him after hearing from a reporter about an investigation, not because he felt he had done anything wrong.

"Wouldn't it be the natural American thing to consult a lawyer?" Cannella said.

On Thursday afternoon, Cannella confirmed the police investigation. He said he plans to meet with police early next week. He said he did not know details of the allegations.

"I haven't gotten any specifics regarding the acts alleged," he said.

Thursday evening, Pinellas County attorney Jeff Brown told a reporter that he represents a woman named Julie Irwin in the matter.

He declined to say Irwin's involvement or give specifics on the allegations, but he scoffed at Belden's account of the night.

"Do you really think the police would investigate this if all he did was hug her dog?" Brown asked. "It's ridiculous to think that this is all about him hugging her dog."

Staff writer Rebecca Catalanello and researcher Cathy Wos contributed to this report. Abbie VanSickle can be reached at 813 226-3373 or vansickle@sptimes.com.

[Last modified October 20, 2006, 06:47:06]