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Cape man accused of bumping code enforcement officer

By Staff

A Cape Coral man is accused of battery for allegedly chest bumping a code compliance officer following a building inspection Tuesday afternoon.
Uri Aminov, 56, of 1955 S.E. 31st St., was arrested and charged with one count of battery on a code inspector while performing duties, a felony. He had been released from the Lee County Jail on $5,000 bond by Wednesday.
Aminov has a court date set Sept. 20, according to jail booking records.
Connie Barron, the spokeswoman for the Cape Coral police, reported that Aminov is the owner of a building in the Cape Industrial Park. Officer William Ziegler was conducting a routine inspection of a business at the building when Aminov became agitated and chest-bumped Ziegler. He was later arrested.
During a telephone interview Wednesday, Aminov denied touching Ziegler.
“I didn’t touch this guy,” he said. “No contact. Nothing, nothing, nothing.”
“I’m not that kind of person,” he continued. “Why should I touch him?”
According to Aminov, he received a phone call from a code enforcement officer about issues with his building. He went to the business, where the officer pointed out a leak to him. Aminov said he did not see the leak, but told the officer to put all the issues in writing so he could fix everything.
Aminov said the officer started shouting at him and then asked if Aminov was going to push him. Aminov said he told the officer no and asked why he would do that. The officer continued to shout and Aminov asked him to go.
“He keeps shouting at me,” he said. “He was shouting and I was shouting back. There was shouting, nothing else.”
Aminov added that he repeatedly asked for the officer’s information.
“I ask him five or six times,” he said. “He refused to give me his identification.”
Aminov later tried to file a complaint at the Cape Coral City Hall, where he was detained and questioned by police. He was then arrested and charged.
According to police, Ziegler was doing the inspection at Affordable Auto, located at 1121 S.E. 12th Place. As he conducted the inspection, he spoke by phone to Aminov and Aminov indicated that he would come to the building. When he arrived, Ziegler tried to explain the leak problems that he found.
Ziegler reported Aminov had a hostile demeanor. Barron said Ziegler asked Aminov to calm down and offered to show him the leaks. The two went to the back of the building, where Ziegler pointed out where automotive fluids were leaking. At that point, Aminov aggressively moved toward Ziegler and bumped him chest-to-chest.
According to Barron, Ziegler advised Aminov not to touch him and headed to the front of the business. Aminov continued to stay close to Ziegler’s face, yelling for him to leave and using profanity. Ziegler got to his vehicle and left.
Ziegler and his supervisor contacted police at city hall. While officers were interviewing Ziegler, Aminov arrived to file a complaint and Code Compliance Manager Frank Cassidy spoke to him. Aminov allegedly became agitated and raised his voice. Cassidy asked Aminov to calm down and wait for the police.
Barron reported that Aminov told officers that Ziegler raised his voice at him when he said he could not see any leaks at his building. Aminov said when he asked for a written list of problems with the building, Ziegler continued to yell at him and take pictures.
Aminov said Wednesday that he still intends to file a compliant.
“I will not let it go,” he said.