A challenger for the Ward 2 council seat claims the incumbent and current vice mayor threatened her Monday after a hearing on ballot qualifications.

Laisha “Ms. She-She” O’Neal filed a report with Columbus Police Department on Monday alleging Ward 2 incumbent Joseph Mickens confronted her outside of the Lowndes County Courthouse and made a remark she perceived as a threat.

The Democratic candidates were attending a hearing inside the courthouse called by the local party committee to determine if they were qualified to be on the ballot.

Mickens challenged the residency of O’Neal and his other opponent, Roderick Smith, while a separate challenge accused Mickens of failing to file a campaign finance report. The committee overruled each challenge and determined all three candidates are qualified to run.

After the hearing, a Dispatch reporter witnessed the end of a verbal altercation happening between O’Neal and Mickens in a parking lot outside of the courthouse, in which O’Neal told Mickens to leave her alone. In response, Mickens said, “I’m not doing anything.”

According to the police report O’Neal filed, which CPD provided The Dispatch in response to a public records request, Mickens walked up behind her after the hearing and said, “It ain’t over with,” allegedly referring to his attempt to have her disqualified from the race.

O’Neal told police she took Mickens’ words seriously, and they made her feel threatened and uncomfortable. In the report, she claimed Mickens was harassing her on Facebook by talking about her address and where she lives.

Mickens told The Dispatch on Tuesday he was not involved in any altercation with O’Neal on Monday.

“She kept saying what she was saying,” he said. “I said, ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’ I got in my car and left. I had no altercation with nobody. I’m not giving no more statements the rest of this campaign.”

Police Chief Joseph Daughtry said O’Neal did not file charges when she made the report, though she has up to a year to sign an affidavit against Mickens.

Speaking to The Dispatch Tuesday, O’Neal would not confirm if she intends to file charges against Mickens.

“I’m just trying to run a positive campaign, and I want everybody to run their race,” she said.

McRae is a general assignment and education reporter for The Dispatch.