City Councilor Jasiel Correia II claims Mayor Will Flanagan attempted to intimidate him using scare tactics that involved a gun two days after the freshman councilor signed a recall petition. The mayor is denying ever making such a threat.

FALL RIVER — Once political allies, City Councilor Jasiel Correia II has claimed publicly that Mayor Will Flanagan attempted to intimidate him using scare tactics that involved a gun two days after the freshman councilor signed a mayoral recall petition. It's an allegation Flanagan denies.

According to Correia, on Aug. 14, Flanagan left a phone message shortly before 11 p.m. asking to meet with Correia. Correia said he called back and agreed to meet the mayor at the bar Boondocks on Water Street.

The meeting occurred two days after Correia signed the recall petition during a City Council meeting, after a member of the recall group confronted Correia and indicated Correia could be the next elected official to be the target of an additional recall drive.

Correia said when he arrived, Flanagan was parked by the bar and flashed his lights. Correia entered Flanagan’s SUV and said there was a man sitting in the back seat behind the passenger side. Correia declined to identify the man, but Flanagan said it was local businessman Tommy Gosselin.

Gosselin, one of Flanagan’s political supporters, refused to comment to The Herald News.

Correia said Flanagan proceeded to drive the three men around the city, and the mayor expressed how disappointed he was that Correia had signed the petition and insisted that Correia contact The Herald News and report that he had been intimidated by recall organizers, particularly Jordan Silvia.

Correia denies he was intimidated by Silvia or any member of the recall group the night of the council meeting or at any other time.

Silvia is a former police officer who was arrested several years ago on felony gun charges and is on probation.

“I told the mayor, 'You’re a lawyer and you want me to lie and perjure myself,'” Correia said.

After the Aug. 12 City Council meeting, Flanagan contacted The Herald News and claimed Correia called him the evening he signed the petition crying, saying he had been threatened by members of the recall group and that a reporter should contact the councilor.

On Aug. 22, Correia was contacted by The Herald News and asked about the mayor’s assertion. Correia denied Flanagan’s claim and said he reached out to the mayor to inform Flanagan that he had signed the petition.

The night Correia met with Flanagan, he said the conversation turned to Gosselin telling Correia that “it was dangerous out there,” after which Flanagan pulled a gun out of the car’s console. Flanagan told Correia that he never leaves the house without the gun.

Flanagan admitted to meeting with Correia on that night, but he denied intimidating or threatening Correia. Instead it was the city councilor who asked to speak with the mayor about how he felt threatened by the recall members.

“I feel badly for what Jasiel is going through, I think someone unduly pressured him,” Flanagan said.

Flanagan admits he had his gun that night but that it was holstered on his waistband and that he showed it to Correia. He denies taking the gun out. He said Correia told him he was considering getting a license to carry a weapon. Flanagan said he offered to write a letter so Correia could get a concealed weapons license.

Correia said Flanagan placed the gun on the dashboard. Flanagan claims he doesn’t have a dashboard in his vehicle.

During the incident, which Correia said lasted about an hour and 15 minutes, City Councilor Paul DaSilva showed up and entered the mayor’s vehicle, according to Correia.

“Basically I felt set up to lie for the mayor, and he was using intimidating tactics,” Correia said.

To get out of the situation, Correia said, he told Flanagan he was going away to Cape Cod with his family and would think about the events of that night. Correia said he also told Flanagan that he would not do or say anything to compromise his ethics.

Flanagan said Correia never contacted him again.

Flanagan’s chief of staff, Ann O’Neil-Souza, said she was at the City Council meeting in August and claims she witnessed Correia signing the petition and that he indicated to her that he felt threatened. Correia said, according to O’Neil-Souza, that “he was going to make it right.”

Correia said he is “appalled” by Flanagan’s version of the story and that the mayor should “at the very least, should come out and admit he made a mistake and lied about it.”

Correia reported the incident to Police Chief Daniel Racine but has declined to pursue any criminal complaint.

“It’s my prerogative, and I’m not out for revenge,” Correia said.

On why he chose to come out publicly weeks after the alleged incident, Correia said he had not intended to but had been recently approached by the media regarding the incident.

As for Flanagan, he summed it up as politics being “a very dirty sport.”

“Unfortunately, people make false allegations that are outrageous or blatantly false,” Flanagan said. “I will certainly take the high road and turn the other cheek.”