A state senator from Manchester, N.H., was arrested Monday on assault charges after he got into an argument that turned physical in April at a restaurant he owns in the city, police said.
Republican Senator Keith Murphy, 47, owner of Murphy’s Taproom on Elm Street, turned himself in and was booked on two counts of simple assault and one count of criminal threatening, according to an announcement from the Manchester Police Department.
The investigation began April 30, when an employee reported having been spat on and slapped during an argument at the restaurant, police said.
Surveillance video backed up the victim’s report and showed the suspect pick up a chair “in an aggressive manner,” police said.
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Murphy was released on personal recognizance with an arraignment date on July 24.
In a statement, Murphy described himself as the victim in this situation.
“I am innocent of these charges and I look forward to my day in court. When the facts are known it will be clear that the police have charged the victim in this case,” he wrote on Facebook.
“I will be defending my name, reputation, and business through the legal process, and I defer all further questions to my attorney, Donna Brown,” he added.
In response to a comment on his statement, Murphy rejected the notion that police made their charging decision based on a review of the facts.
“The truth will come out in a few weeks,” he wrote. “Withhold judgment until that happens.”
In a statement, Senate President Jeb Bradley, a Republican, said Murphy is a business leader who has demonstrated “the highest of character” in the Senate.
“I want to express my strong support for our colleague Senator Keith Murphy following news of a workplace dispute with an employee,” Bradley said, noting that Murphy gets the same presumption of innocence as any other defendant in the American criminal justice system.
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Bradley encouraged everyone to give Murphy and his family privacy.
New Hampshire Democratic Party Chairman Ray Buckley said the allegations, if proven, should lead Murphy to leave his legislative seat.
“These are very serious charges that should be taken seriously by all involved,” Buckley said. “If Senator Murphy is convicted, without question he must leave the Senate immediately.”
Murphy was elected in November to a two-year term representing Senate District 16. He stepped into the contest during the general election campaign after the GOP nominee, Michael Yakubovich, dropped out of the race, citing his health.
This article has been updated with a statement from Keith Murphy.
Steven Porter can be reached at steven.porter@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @reporterporter.