Belmont County Commissioner Matt Coffland faces an assault charge after he was arrested Friday night at the Jamboree in the Hills site in Morristown by the Belmont County Sheriff's Office.

Liquor board agents arrested Coffland for allegedly assaulting a police officer and booked him into the Belmont County Jail.

Local people are reacting to the arrest of the public official.

"He messes up just like everybody else," said John Sterling, who lives in Jefferson County.

"With a position like that, it's comes with part of the job; not only at work but in the evening," said Josh Eye, who attended Jamboree in the Hills. "It seems like, when you're notable and your face, when you do something like that, it's going to make the front page of the paper."

On Friday, NEWS9 spoke with Coffland about being charged with three counts of obstructing justice, all misdemeanors, by the Liquor Control Board at the Tiger Pub in Shadyside, which he owns.

"Judge me as a county commissioner as a county commissioner, or judge me as a bar owner as a bar owner. Try not to mix the two, because they should not be mixed," said Coffland. "As I said, I've got a great record as a public servant. I love being a public servant."


Coffland told NEWS9 Friday he is very strong about a separation between his public service and his business with the bar.

"I am a county commissioner every day all the time, and I am a bar owner when they need an extra hand. I come in and I help out," said Coffland. "We need to separate that."

Some people said they agree while others said they have different opinions.

"It should be separate, but it's going to be hard for him to keep his job either way because the public is going to think differently of him whether or not it should be separate," said Alexander Coe, a Belmont County resident.

"He should, you know, take care of things. It shouldn't happen," said Sterling. "You've got the public to worry about, the trust."

Coffland is expected to be in Belmont County court July 26 at 2 p.m.

He posted bond after midnight Saturday at $5,175, deputies said.