A mayoral candidate in Iowa Colony faces an assault charge following a confrontation outside a clubhouse in the Sterling Lakes subdivision. It’s where tensions over his role as Property Owners Association (POA) board president boiled over.
Douglas Chumley, who serves as both the Sterling Lakes POA board president and Iowa Colony mayoral hopeful, was arrested after an altercation with a resident.
Surveillance footage of the incident, which Chumley himself shared on social media, captured the confrontation. Iowa Colony Police reported that Chumley had gone to the location to confront a resident who was collecting petition signatures against his board leadership.
According to police officials, Chumley left the scene after the altercation but was arrested shortly thereafter.
Multiple Sterling Lakes residents have come forward with allegations about Chumley’s conduct. One former board member described challenges in working with him, stating, “When I was on the board, he constantly belittled me, raised his voice at me. It made it very difficult to get through meetings.”
Additional evidence of concerning behavior emerged when residents shared doorbell camera footage allegedly showing Chumley in a heated verbal confrontation at a resident’s home.
When asked about the assault charge, Chumley declined an on-camera interview but provided a statement describing the incident as “mutual unwanted contact,” claiming the other party pushed him as he exited his truck.
Chumley defended his community involvement, noting his decade-plus residency in Iowa Colony and active participation in various community committees since 2019.
The incident occurs as the community approaches next month’s mayoral election.