This past Saturday evening, a mayor out of Indiana officially admitted to drinking and driving in the wake of a car crash, as stated via a release coming from the politician’s office.
The office of Mayor Tom Henry, out of Fort Wayne, put forth a release via social media after the mayor was reportedly being officially taken into Allen County Jail. He was released early in the morning on Sunday on his won recognizance.
“I want to apologize to the residents of Fort Wayne and my family for the poor decision I made to get behind the wheel of a vehicle after drinking at a local function. I accept full responsibility for my actions,” explained the statement.
“I’m relieved that no one was hurt in this incident. The Fort Wayne Police Department handled this situation with professionalism and followed all of the correct procedures and protocols,” stated Henry.
Henry also spoke out to the media this past Sunday to talk about his extreme embarrassment and sorrow for the ordeal.
“I am terribly embarrassed by the poor decision making that occurred last evening,” stated Henry as part of the press conference. “I am sorry that I put our police department in that situation last evening. I knew better… I will be held accountable for those actions in future legal proceedings. I respect our legal process, and I will adhere to decisions made by our court, and I will accept those consequences.”
The mayor highlighted that he would not go further into details because of the pending investigation.
“As your mayor, I will not hide from my actions, nor will I make excuses. But today I ask that you please respect my inability to speak to the facts of the matter until I am fairly and appropriately adjudicated,” stated Henry.
Sergeant Jeremy Webb, the Fort Wayne Police Department Information Officer, pointed out that no records from the police would be shared with the public due to an ongoing investigation, as reported by WANE-TV.
John Perlich, as a spokesman for Henry, also put forth a statement about the ordeal to NBC News.
“Mayor Tom Henry was involved in a motor vehicle crash late Saturday,” stated Perlich to the outlet. “Upon arrival, officers determined that the Mayor appeared to be impaired. After tests were conducted, that was confirmed.”
Henry is currently attempting to go for a fifth term as mayor for 2023 against his Republican rival, Tom Didier, that currently sits as a council member for Fort Wayne city.
“I have known the Henry family for much of my life,” expressed Didier in a released statement in the wake of the apology from the mayor. “Cindy Henry actually was one of the first people to encourage me to run for public office. These relationships go beyond politics. I would encourage everyone to pray for them and all those involved in this accident and I hope that no one was seriously harmed.”