District 9 incumbent Yusuf Hakeem speaks about his platform on Monday, Jan. 23, 2017. 
City council candidate Demetrus Coonrod is photographed Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2017, in Chattanooga, Tenn.Demetrus Coonrod, runoff candidate for the Chattanooga City Council District 9 seat, says she’s not “unhinged, a pathological liar and crazy,” as opponent Yusuf Hakeem labeled her during a Sunday afternoon radio program.
Just a few hours later, Coonrod fired back at Hakeem, the incumbent, during a candidate forum hosted by the Unity Group of Chattanooga and Concerned Citizens for Justice for the District 9 and District 7 seats. The election is April 11. Early voting ends Thursday.
The two had to swap shots at long range because Hakeem, though invited, did not attend the forum at the Eastdale Community Village United Methodist Church.
“There’s nothing in my past that would indicate that I’m crazy, that I’m unhinged and that I’m a pathological liar,” Coonrod said “It’s a proven fact that my opponent has been unhinged on more than several occasions.”
At the sparsely attended forum, Coonrod said Hakeem had blown up at Brent Goldberg, the city’s chief operating officer in 2015, during a public meeting and has gotten into heated exchanges with his City Council colleagues.