PORTSMOUTH, Va. — A judge denied an arrest warrant against a Portsmouth city councilman arrested Tuesday on charges of domestic assault and battery, police said.

Councilman De’Andre Barnes was arrested after a citizen claimed he saw him drag a woman into a car, according to police. But police said the arrest warrants were denied and he was released from custody.

All this happened after a citizen called the police around 7:45 in the morning. Police claimed they saw “a black woman with a backpack screaming as she was dragged by a black man.” The citizen also claimed that the man forced the woman into the vehicle.

Police said they arrested Barnes after interviewing everyone involved, including an independent witness.

After his arrest, police said they turned the evidence over to the judge to obtain an arrest warrant. Barnes was released after the magistrate rejected the warrant.