Ward 1 Alderman Nick Shalek ’05, who represents students living on Old Campus and in eight residential colleges, was arrested early Sunday morning by New Haven Police Department officers following an altercation outside a downtown bar.
Shalek, who was arrested at approximately 2 a.m. at the Salty Dog Saloon on Center Street, faces charges of breach of peace, criminal trespassing and interfering with an officer, an NHPD spokesman said.
“He was asked to leave the bar when it was closing but refused,” the spokesman said. “The police were called to try and remove him and there was a scuffle.”
Shalek, who is currently traveling abroad on a business trip, said in an e-mail that he will not be able to comment on the incident until he returns to New Haven.
Shalek, who works as a financial analyst for the Yale Investments Office, was elected to the Board of Aldermen last year as an independent candidate after defeating incumbent and fellow Yalie Rebecca Livengood ’07, the Democratic nominee.
Brett Edkins ’06, Shalek’s campaign manager in this year’s aldermanic race, declined to comment on the matter and said that he has not yet been notified of any arrest involving Shalek.
“It’s not something that he would pick up the phone to call people about,” Edkins said.
Formerly a political science and economics double major at Yale, Shalek currently serves on the Finance, Human Services and Municipal Services committees of the Board of Aldermen. Committee chairpersons and Board of Aldermen President Carl Goldfield were unavailable for comment this week.
According to Connecticut state law, Shalek could face up to one year in prison and a $2,000 fine if convicted of either trespassing or interfering with an officer, as well as up to six months in prison and a $1,000 fine for breach of peace.