City council candidates dispute account of altercation outside Toledo voting site

TOLEDO, Ohio — A candidate for Toledo City Council is disputing an allegation that he shoved a woman outside a county government building this week, calling it a politically motivated attack days before the election.

Images of a Lucas County Sheriff’s Office report sent to WTOL 11 appear to show the incident happened around 1:30 p.m. Oct. 28 in the parking lot of the Shared Services Building on West Sylvania Avenue, which houses several county offices, including the Board of Elections.

The report identifies Robert Pasker III, 38, as the suspect. Witnesses told investigators that Pasker shoved a woman, prompting another person nearby to intervene, according to the report.

When deputies arrived, Pasker and the woman had already been separated. The report says deputies spoke with both the alleged victim and a witness and reviewed video footage of the encounter. The deputy wrote that the video appeared to show contact between the two as they approached the witness.

Initially, the woman asked only that Pasker leave the property. But after learning the incident was recorded, she decided to press charges, the report states.

The sheriff’s office report also notes that the video evidence is available to prosecutors for review. Pasker, who is listed on the ballot as a Toledo City Council at-large candidate, left the scene without further incident. No injuries were reported.

In a statement released Friday, Pasker denied the allegations and said the incident is being misrepresented for political purposes.

“I want to address the false claim being made about me at a polling site. The Lucas County Sheriff’s Office and Board of Elections reviewed the video footage and confirmed that no abuse occurred,” Pasker said.

“Despite that, the individual — connected to the Blair Johnson campaign — still chose to file a false report, even going so far as to claim I was arrested on October 29, 2025. That is completely untrue. I was never arrested, no warrants were ever issued, and I am not banned from the Board of Elections.

“This is a clear and calculated attempt by the Blair Johnson campaign to mislead voters and distract from the issues that truly matter to Toledo residents. I remain focused on running a campaign rooted in honesty, integrity, and results — and on serving our city with the leadership it deserves.”

Pasker also claimed he has been “fully cleared by the Lucas County Board of Elections.”

Lucas County Board of Elections Deputy Director Timothy Monaco told WTOL 11 that no one from the Board reviewed video footage of the incident.

“Neither members nor employees of the Board reviewed the video footage. The incident was reported to the Lucas County Sheriff’s Deputy on site as well as building management. They did review the security footage,” Monaco said.

Monaco added that the Board “does not clear anyone,” noting it is not a law enforcement or judicial body. He confirmed that Pasker is not banned from Board of Elections property.

Monaco said the individual involved in the report “has been actively campaigning outside the Early Vote Center in support of Mr. Johnson.” He said the Board does not know whether that person is a paid representative of the Blair Johnson campaign.

Council candidate Blair Johnson told WTOL 11 he was not involved in the incident and called Pasker’s claim of a coordinated smear campaign “disheartening.”

“I wasn’t involved in the situation at all,” Johnson said. “There was a 69-year-old veteran who became upset at Mr. Pasker’s actions toward one of my canvassers. He’s the one who went to get the Board of Elections and requested the sheriff’s department.”

Johnson said he was sitting in his car at the time and did not witness what led up to the encounter but heard raised voices afterward.

“It’s very disappointing that my name is being dragged into this. That’s not my character, my integrity, or how we act,” Johnson said. “If we were running a smear campaign, wouldn’t there be something up on our social media or website? We haven’t said a word about this.”

Johnson said both campaigns’ canvassers were handing out literature near the early voting center when the voter witnessed Pasker “put his arm in front of” the canvasser and “push her back.” He said the voter reacted angrily and demanded deputies respond.

“The voter was the one who got upset and yelled, ‘Why would you do that to a woman?’” Johnson said. “He’s the one who triggered everything. I had nothing to do with any of that.”

The images of the sheriff’s report obtained by WTOL 11 show that the field labeled “Arrest Date” lists “10/29/25 08:30.” No arrest location or offense codes are included in the document, and the field marked “Suspect Read Rights” is filled out “NO.”

WTOL 11 will continue to seek clarification from the Lucas County Sheriff’s Office on whether the report indicates an arrest or booking record.