The Encinitas City council member facing felony assault and dereliction of duty charges returned to council chambers on Wednesday evening.

District 1 Councilman Luke Shaffer denied any wrongdoing and says he's committed to keeping the position he was elected to last November.

He entered chambers on Wednesday flanked by two sheriff's deputies. Both took posts behind the council.

When it was Shaffer's turn to speak, he denied all charges. He vowed to fight his accuser and stay in the office.

“False accusations will not distract me or deter me from the vital work of that the people of Encinitas elected me to do,” Shaffer said.

He finished to the sound of applause, but some in the gallery expressed their own strong opinions about his place in politics.

“When the people of Encinitas ent

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