Reports Link N.J. Politician to Arrest at Club

A City Council member from Jersey City was arrested over the weekend after patrons at a Northwest Washington nightclub complained that someone had urinated on them from the balcony, according to police and media reports.

A D.C. police spokesman said Steven Lipski was arrested about 9:50 p.m. and charged with simple assault. A police incident report, which did not name the suspect, gave his age as 44. Another police report listed Lipski as a resident of Jersey City. Public records for the Steven Lipski who sits on the Jersey City council list his age as 43 or 44.

Jennifer Morrill, a spokeswoman for Jersey City, said last night that she did not have all the details about what she termed a "private, personal matter." It would be "premature to make any kind of comment," she said.

Calls to the telephone number listed for Lipski in Jersey City were not returned yesterday. An e-mail also went unanswered. Irina Zaki, an aide to the Democratic councilman and educator, said she called him yesterday but received no answer.

"I really don't know what happened," Zaki said.

The New York Daily News posted a story about the incident on its Web site early yesterday, describing Lipski as a Jersey City council member.

According to a police report, two people complained that a man urinated on them from a balcony while they watched a concert Friday night at the nightclub, on V Street NW. Authorities suspect that the man arrested had been using alcohol, a police report said.

Officials at the club could not be reached.

A New Jersey newspaper that posted a report of the incident said it was also unable to reach Lipski.

In a comment posted on the newspaper's Web site, Lipski was described as "a wonderful and caring person." Another comment said he always put "the well-being of his fellow human beings first."

It was not clear last night whether the suspect was in custody.