A publicly shared Ring camera video shows an enraged Lee Fink, a candidate for Tustin City Council, shoving and verbally threatening an elderly docent in the backyard of a house during the Old Town Tustin Home and Garden Tour.
The incident took place on May 18, 2024.
In the two minute video, an elderly male docent approaches Fink’s wife and politely asks that she not let her daughter, a toddler, play with some unseen and apparently breakable items.
“Don’t let her please play with these things,” says the docent. “I mean she already broke the coral.”
The docent expressed understanding about trying to control a toddler, and told her the tour “really appreciates it.”
By this time, Fink had walked over and immediately became confrontational with the elderly man, denying his daughter had broken anything.
When the docent requested that Fink leave, the council candidate came unglued.
“She didn’t touch anything. She didn’t break anything. We don’t have a problem unless you want to make a problem,” Fink told the docent, his volume rising as he jabbed the air with his fingers.
“Do you want to make a problem? I don’t think that you do,” an angry Fink said as he quickly closed the distance with the docent, until their faces were millimeters apart.
“I’m her father, and we either have a problem or we don’t have a problem. So you make a decision right now!” Fink shouted as he got in the docent’s face.
“We have a problem,” the docent replied calmly and quietly.
At that point, Fink really erupted, yelling “Then you’d better get the fuck away from me, you little piece of shit!” as he physically shoved the elderly man back.
“You stop fucking around with my daughter or you go down!” yelled an enraged Fink, physically pushing against the docent, exhibiting behavior that could be viewed as assault and battery. “That’s the way it goes!”
At that point, the elderly owners of the house had hurried over.
“This is my house and I’d like you to leave!” said the wife, telling Fink, “You’re out of line.”
“I don’t know why you have your baby playing with my stuff and throwing things on the ground. I don’t appreciate it,” she continued.
Another woman chimed in, “She slammed it on the coffee table. I was right there. You weren’t even watching her.”
“Who does he think he is?” the woman exclaimed as Fink left – apparently unaware “he” was a candidate to represent her on the city council.
Fink is running in District 1, where his opponent is Tustin Planning Commissioner Tanner Douthit.
Fink is active in Democrat politics, and has recently been spearheading Democratic Party lawfare against members of the Orange County Board of Education, who are conservative and supportive of parental rights and charter schools.
Tustin Mayor Austin Lumbard expressed alarm at the video, condemning Fink’s behavior and stating that bullying has no place in Tustin.
“I watched the video and must say I am shocked. I feel horribly for the homeowner and the poor individual who were subjected to this violent assault,” said Lumbard. “We reject bullying and violence in Tustin. Our community deserves better.”
UPDATE 10-16-24: Yesterday, OC Independent e-mailed Fink a link to the Ring video with a request for comment. Fink replied: “I am in the middle of a trial in the Probate Court. I will review it and send you a statement first thing in the morning” which would have been the morning of Oct. 16.
So far, no statement.
