California Commissioner Resigns After Throwing Cat During Online Meeting

Vallejo, California, planning commissioner Chris Platzer has abdicated his position after throwing his cat during an online Zoom video meeting.

“During the April 20 Vallejo Planning Commission meeting, one of the City’s Planning Commissioners, Chris Platzer, was seen exhibiting behavior that does not model the core values of the City of Vallejo,” said a statement released by the City of Vallejo via Instagram on Monday:

At the request of Mayor Sampayan and Councilmember McConnell, an action item was placed on the April 28 City Council Meeting agenda that called for the immediate removal of Platzer from the Planning Commission.

As of this afternoon, the City has received a formal resignation from Commissioner Platzer citing his behavior as not “…befitting of a planning commissioner…,” closing with an apology for any “harm he may have inflicted” through his actions.

During the meeting, Platzer interrupted a conversation about the business at hand to hold his cat up to the camera after it could be heard meowing repeatedly off-screen. “I’d like to introduce my cat,” he said as he held the animal up. Then he threw it off-screen. There was a squeal and a thud heard.

Since the meeting, “many concerned citizens” contacted both city and county officials out of “fears for the welfare of Mr. Platzer’s cat.” The statement reassured locals that “the [Solano County] Sheriff’s Office will take the lead in conducting an animal welfare investigation.”