At Wednesday night's Erie City Council meeting, community members were sure to let Councilmembers know they were dissatisfied with the lack of information they have received following the fatal shooting of Marchello Woodard.

During the meeting, Council President Mel Witherspoon spoke to the room and explained why he has not participated in any protest rallies over Woodard's death.

Witherspoon recalled a night when he was in college in Nebraska and one of his classmates came over to his dorm room.

"You know, Nick, I can blow your head off... and I did... I shot him the head point-blank," Witherspoon said.

Witherspoon's fellow Councilman Chuck Nelson said the comments took some members by surprise, while Archbishop Dwane Brock said Witherspoon was simply trying to keep the peace in the council chambers.

Witherspoon went on to claim that following the shooting, he spent one night in jail but was then out the next day after receiving help from his uncle.

According to a media publication from Scottsbluff, Nebraska, the person who was shot was identified as Nicholas Harry Deligianis from Ashtabula, Ohio.

Deligianis did survive the shooting and later passed away in 2020, at the age of 76.