Politician forced to resign after throwing cat roughly during Zoom meeting

A politician has been forced to resign after he threw his cat roughly during a Zoom meeting.

Vallejo planning commissioner Chris Platzer picked up his pet, which appeared to be a Bengal cat, and said, "First, I would like to introduce my cat" before roughly throwing the animal down in front of his colleagues.

In footage of the incident, the cat can be heard meowing before landing on the floor with an audible thud.

Watch the shocking incident below: 

[[jwplayerwidget||https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/3B4qzI2D-Q0L14jDU.mp4||3B4qzI2D]]

After the animal is thrown, a number of Platzer's colleagues look visibly shocked in the footage of the Zoom call. And while the cat is believed to be unharmed, outrage over the behavior has forced Platzer to resign from his position in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The incident with the cat was not the only controversial thing to happen during the Zoom call either. Platzer can also be seen drinking beer and making unpleasant remarks about one of his colleagues.

[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/abc7newsbayarea/status/1254642107333083137]]

Platzer subsequently apologized in the Vallejo Times-Herald on Saturday, blaming his actions on the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

He said: "I did not conduct myself in the Zoom meeting in a manner befitting of a planning commissioner and apologize for any harm I may have inflicted. I serve at the pleasure of the council and no longer have that trust and backing. I extend my gratitude to those who have supported me during my tenure.

"I have always felt that serving Vallejo in a voluntary position is honorable because Vallejo is worth serving. We are all living in uncertain times and I certainly, like many of you, am adjusting to a new normalcy."

Platzer's colleagues said that if he had not chosen voluntary resignation after the Zoom call, they were planning to table a motion to have him forcibly removed.