Photos and a video of Langley’s mayor covering a security camera with duct tape were posted on social media and caught the attention of quite a few commenters.

At least one person on Facebook called the images “creepy” while others debated whether it was really Mayor Scott Chaplin and what he was up to.

In an interview, Chaplin admitted that the images are indeed of him, but he explains that he did so to protect someone he believed was a victim of violence. He said he’s in contact with his attorney to see if he can take action over the posting of the images or the unkind things that were said about him.

The details of the events that led up to the duct tape incident are unclear, however, as the investigation and reports by deputies are not complete and no arrests were made. Two roommates both claim different versions of the July 6 and 7 events and have obtained temporary protection orders against each other.

The image of the mayor blocking the camera was posted online by a third party.

Chaplin explained that he is “boating friends” with a woman who sublet a Freeland home from another woman. He said he believes his friend was assaulted by the other woman. The mayor’s friend obtained a temporary protection order that prevented her roommate from going to the house but allows her to feed the horses in a barn.

The mayor explained that the home has a Ring camera that the roommate can presumably view remotely and he felt that the roommate was showing up only when his friend was home alone. As a result, he decided to block the camera to prevent the woman from spying on his friend, an action he felt was necessary for her safety.

Contrary to the mayor’s version of events, the Island County Sheriff’s Office reported that preliminary information indicated that the mayor’s friend may be the suspect in the assault case and could receive a citation.

The roommate claimed in her petition that the mayor’s friend assaulted a visitor the day before, acted inappropriately around the house, harassed her and was “violent and unstable.” The roommate filed an eviction notice against her.

The mayor’s friend, on the other hand, reported in her petition for a restraining order that her roommate grabbed her by the throat twice as the woman’s drunken friends egged her on. She wrote that a deputy saw injuries on her neck and instructed her roommate to leave the premises. The petition includes a photo of the woman’s neck injuries.

In granting temporary protection orders to both parties, the judge noted that the the situation “has been volatile and is escalating.” The order preserves the status quo, which is that the mayor’s friend can stay in the house. A follow-up hearing was set for July 19.

The Whidbey News-Times did not name the roommates because the police investigation is ongoing.