GLENDALE, Ariz. — The UFC fight was already over inside Gila River Arena in Glendale on June 12, but in the parking garage, Robert Nejbauer Jr. said a new fight began.
“The mayor was way out of line that night,” Nejbauer said.
Nejbauer, who works at the arena, said Glendale Mayor Jerry Weiers had a verbal confrontation with him in the parking garage.
“It pissed me off,” Nejbauer said.
Nejbauer said he can’t talk about the incident specifically with 12 News, but he did take his concerns to Glendale’s city council meeting this week.
He told the council that he was directing traffic in the arena’s parking garage when Weiers tried to go out a different exit than the one Nejbauer directed him to use.
“He whipped around the line and started speeding to the south exit, I jumped in front of his car, I had to, he was going fast enough that he would have rear-ended the people that were stopped in front of him,” Nejbauer said.
Nejbauer claims that’s when a verbal confrontation began.
“He said, ‘Can the attitude, you don’t want to get started with me,” Nejbauer said. “Well, I replied, ‘You don’t want to get started with me. Go out the north exit the way I’m instructing you to.’”
Nejbauer said there was more back and forth between Weiers and himself, which ended in Nejbauer telling Weiers he’d have to call security to get Weiers out of the garage because he wouldn’t move.
“He then told me to, ‘Eat (expletive) and die,” Nejbauer said. “My response was appropriate, it was, “(Expletive) you, get out of my garage.”
12 News made multiple attempts to contact the mayor’s office but have not heard a response back as of Friday night.
Nejbauer said the mayor’s office called the arena and wanted him fired from a job he loves and has held for several seasons.
“That’s why I didn’t get canned because they like me too,” Nejbauer said.
After Nejbauer’s time expired with the council, Weiers adjourned the meeting.
“Okay folks, with that, there will be no further business for tonight. I’d like to thank everyone, well, almost everyone, for attending tonight’s meeting,” Weiers said.
Nejbauer said he will be fighting to see Weiers held accountable.
“I want him gone,” Nejbauer said. “I said, resignation, retirement, or recall.”
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