A state prosecutor on Monday dismissed assault charges that Del. Gabriel Acevero and Montgomery County union leader Gino Renne had brought against each other after a physical fight between them days before the June primary.
The men faced misdemeanor second-degree assault charges that were pursued through district court commissioners.
A special prosecutor, Tammy Leache from Frederick County, had been assigned to the case because of its high-profile nature. She said attorneys for both sides agreed to dismiss the cases.
Monday’s hearing was scheduled to deal with the charge against Renne, who declined to comment after the dismissal. His attorney, Jim Shalleck, said, “We’re grateful that’s been resolved.”
Debbie Katz Levi, Acevero’s attorney, said in a statement, “Today’s dismissal confirms what we’ve said from the start: Delegate Acevero did nothing wrong.”
The fight occurred at the Activity Center at Bohrer Park in Gaithersburg on June 18, five days before the primary.
Renne, 72, and Acevero, 35, accused each other of starting the fight and throwing punches.
Renne is president of UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO, which represents about 6,000 county employees. Acevero is one of three delegates representing District 39, and he won his primary in June.
Gaithersburg Police said they made no arrests when they arrived at Bohrer Park because the men had been separated.
Renne told The Banner last month that Acevero triggered the confrontation after a union staffer pointed out that the delegate was campaigning past the boundary allowed by law. Renne said that he told Acevero he should know better and that Acevero attacked him after a verbal exchange.
“He decides to sucker punch me with a closed fist,” Renne said, adding that the union staffer came to his defense.
Acevero said in a statement after the incident that he was forced to defend himself against Renne.
“He took a swing at me,” Acevero said. “I had to use physical force to defend myself.”
Renne and Acevero have an acrimonious history.
Renne told The Banner that he had fired Acevero from the union years earlier and that he noted this before last month’s confrontation turned physical.
“I reminded him that’s the exact behavior that got you fired,” Renne said.
The New York Times reported in 2020 that Acevero had introduced a bill the year before to reduce protections for police accused of misconduct.
Acevero filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board, claiming the union dismissed him because of his support for police reform.
Renne said in the article that Acevero’s termination was more about his confrontational attitude during a meeting to discuss the bill, but that Acevero’s stance also complicated “our obligation to represent our members.”






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