The ex-wife of Charlotte City Council member Braxton Winston filed a complaint with a magistrate Friday, alleging that Winston assaulted her. His ex-wife was charged in relation to the same fight, which happened on Jan. 5.
The criminal summons, which will require Winston to appear in court, alleges the council member punched Sheena Hopkins-Winston on the left shoulder and repeatedly pushed her during the dispute.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg police also issued an arrest warrant for Hopkins-Winston for simple assault from that same incident, for allegedly throwing an HDMI cable at Winston, striking him in the face and scratching his chest with her fingernails.
A day after that fight, Mecklenburg County District Court Judge Jena Culler on Jan. 6 ordered that Hopkins-Winston avoid all contact with Winston and their children. Culler also found that she “committed acts of domestic violence against Winston.” There is a court date for the restraining order on Jan. 19.
In a statement released by his attorney, Winston said “domestic violence is a trauma that affects too many families in our community. My family is not exempt.”
He added: “It is important that survivors are able to have faith that our systems will provide protection and justice when traumas occur. It is important to remember, regardless of status, all genders can be victims of domestic violence.”
A criminal summons can be issued when someone goes before a magistrate to file a complaint. If a magistrate issues a summons against someone, that person is required to appear in court. A summons is not the same as being arrested or having a warrant for your arrest.
Winston, an at-large member, was first elected to City Council in 2017.
