Dorothy Brizill, the Executive Director of DCWatch, the ubiquitous local government watchdog group, was arrested and charged with assault yesterday after Tara Bridgett, an aide to deputy mayor for education Victor Reinoso, said Brizill grabbed her shirt and yanked the ID badge hanging from a lanyard around her neck.

Brizill, who has been a local legend in D.C. politics for twenty years for her hardcharging questioning of municipal goings on, had been meeting with Reinoso earlier to inquire about the criteria used in the selection of school chancellor nominee Michelle Rhee. The Post reports that Brizill and Bridgett have differing accounts of what happened later, when the alleged assault ocurred.

Brizill said that she asked Bridgett for her name and title and that Bridgett did not respond. Brizill said she leaned in to get a better look at Bridgett’s identification badge, which was hanging from her neck. Brizill said Bridgett jerked back and told her to leave.

(Spokesperson for Mayor Fenty Mafara) Hobson said Bridgett told police that Brizill grabbed the aide’s badge and grasped her shirt. Bridgett was not available for comment. Hobson said Bridgett had gone to the doctor after feeling neck pain.

Brizill told the Post she denies pulling at Bridgett’s clothing or grabbing at her badge. She was arrested about an hour later after testifying at a hearing about the May 1 special election.

No one would deny that Brizill has ruffled a lot of feathers over the years in her role as D.C.’s most outspoken watchdog, but she’s also been behind exposing a laundry list of corruption and inefficiency in a local government that’s been notably plagued by such problems. We certainly wish both women the best of luck in resolving this dispute quickly, so they can both get back to their important, respective work as soon as possible.