A California state official says he has resigned after a Zoom meeting in which he threw his pet cat and appeared to guzzle beer was made public.
Chris Platzer, a planning commissioner for Vallejo, was taking part in the teleconference last week when he told colleagues, "I'd like to introduce my cat", before throwing the animal off-screen.
In footage of the incident released by Vallejo city council, a cat can be heard meowing shortly before it is picked up by Mr Platzer.
He is also seen drinking what appears to be a beer then making derogatory comments once the meeting ends.
“I’m going to call bull**** on you little b*****s,” he says.
In an email to the Times-Herald on Saturday, Mr Platzer said he has resigned from the planning commission, effective immediately.
The resignation came days before the city council was set to consider a resolution removing him from the seven-person panel, according to the newspaper.
“I did not conduct myself in the Zoom meeting in a manner befitting of a planning commissioner and apologize for any harm I may have inflicted,” Mr Platzer wrote.
“I serve at the pleasure of the council and no longer have that trust and backing. I extend my gratitude to those who have supported me during my tenure. I have always felt that serving Vallejo in a voluntary position is honorable because Vallejo is worth serving.
"We are all living in uncertain times and I certainly, like many of you, am adjusting to a new normalcy.”
Vallejo spokesperson Christina Lee said the city was still attempting to confirm if Mr Platzer had officially resigned from the commission.
Vallejo mayor Bob Sampayan said on Friday that decorum needs to be followed for each and every public meeting.
“This hurts the credibility of the city,” Mr Sampayan added. “What happens if a developer is watching the meeting (and sees that)? They would obviously have concerns about the city.”
Additional reporting by AP
