Witness claims Barrows bounced Gray ‘hard against block wall’

By Brian Hews

A main witness in the heated confrontation between Cerritos Mayor Pro-Tem Bruce Barrows and community member Jay Gray said Barrows version and statements about the details of the incident are false.

Jim McMahon, a resident of Cerritos for the past 40 plus years, who also serves as an attorney at law, told Los Cerritos Community Newspaper on Tuesday that Barrow’s comments to an on line web site “were not true.”

Barrow’s “report is not accurate,” McMahon said.

McMahon and Gray and a handful of community leaders, including ABC Unified School District Board Member James Kang attended the city council budget session.

Kang confirmed to LCCN on Monday night that he was at the meeting, and that he did see Barrows and Gray during the “initial” stages of the confrontation.

Kang and Cerritos City Councilman Mark Pulido were engaged in a dialogue and were standing in the same general location when the shouting began.

“Bruce Barrows, Candidate Jim Gray and I, all left the council chambers, along with councilperson Pulido. Mr. Pulido¹s business card was surrendered to the officer writing the report,” McMahon said.

“Moments before the brawl, Barrows, Gray and myself had a healthy debate over politics. This took place in the open air patio-mezzanine, between the chamber and city hall. Only lasted five minutes,” McMahon said.

“I tried to calm down the debate and finally Barrows walked away, towards the city hall like reported. Pulido was not present (by this time),” McMahon said.

“Barrows yelled back at Mr. Gray and said that he is an f****** a**hole and would
not be supporting him in Tuesday’s water board election,” McMahon told LCCN.

“Mr. Gray responded that Mrs. Barrows liked Mr. Gray and would be supportive in the election,” McMahon said. “This was not a sexual comment like Barrows is reporting.”

“Barrows then turned around, shuffled back about 10 feet, and thrusted and pounced himself
on to Gray,” he said.
.

“Barrows put a chest hold around Gray, some would call battery, others would state
assault,” McMahon said.

“Thank God, for both Mr. Gray was bounced hard against the block wall, and
not thrown overboard onto 183rd Street (side of city hall), as Gray would be dead from the fall
from the mezzanine,” McMahon stressed.

“I pleaded and begged to stop the brawl, which lasted approximately two minutes. Mr. Gray probably hurt his back from the thrust on to the wall,” he said.

Barrows has not responded to calls from Los Cerritos Community Newspaper about the situation but has issued statements and interviews to the Long Beach Press Telegram and a local on line web site.

Cerritos City Manager Art Gallucci said that he would prefer “not to comment on the matter at this time.”