• Background: Melton moved to the city in the early 1980s to run a local TV station, where he became known for his fiery op-ed pieces. in 2005, he was elected mayor. source

• Conflict: His odd way of running the city led to charges that he and a bodyguard attempted to attack a duplex he considered a crack house with sledgehammers. source

• Crisis: The charges, which were about to be retried in federal court, took a toll on his political career, and he ended up losing a heated primary for re-election. source

• Resolution: Melton, in ill health for years, went to the hospital just after the primary results were announced and then died. He leaves behind a killer biopic. source

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