Police trying to help drunken Coun. Eadie, not embarass him: mayor

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This article was published 10/11/2015 (3677 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Mayor Brian Bowman says Winnipeg Police acted out of concern when they contacted him Saturday about a drunken Ross Eadie, and not in an attempt to embarrass the councillor.

Bowman told reporters that it was Winnipeg Police Chief Devon Clunis who contacted him personally later Saturday morning – hours after Eadie had been placed at the Main Street Project to sober up.

Bowman said Clunis called him because he was trying to find a friend or family member who would be able to meet Eadie at the Main Street Project when he sobered up and take him home.

“It was a last-resort call to try to identify an individual who could go down to the Main Street Project to assist the councillor upon his release,” Bowman said.

Bowman said while he was trying to find someone to meet Eadie, he learned that Eadie had been released from the Main Street Project.

Bowman said he was grateful that Clunis and police made the extra effort to help Eadie.

“I appreciate the fact the Chief made the call and that we have a Chief of Police who is doing his best to look after the health and safety of an individual,” Bowman said.

Eadie admitted Sunday that he spent the previous night at the shelter after hours of heavy drinking Friday night and into early Saturday morning. Eadie said a friend had placed him in a cab after the bars closed early Saturday morning but he passed out on the drive home. The cab driver was unable to waken Eadie and contacted police, who took Eadie to the Main Street Project.

Eadie said he was initially concerned when police had contacted the mayor’s office and didn’t know why.

Eadie believed police were calling to complain to the mayor about his conduct for what he believed had been his abusive reaction when drunk towards police and Main Street Project staff.

But Eadie said Tuesday that he met with Clunis and deputy chief Art Stannard and they explained to him what happened and what they had tried to do.

While some speculated that police had breached Eadie’s privacy rights in contacting Bowman and were trying to embarrass him, Eadie said he no longer shares that opinion.

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“They were just trying to help me,” Eadie said. “I understand why they did that.”

Bowman, who was a leading legal expert on privacy legislation before becoming mayor, said Winnipeg police did nothing wrong.

“The privacy legislation has provisions to deal with situations like this, where you are trying to identify an individual – like a family member – who can assist with ensuring someone’s health and safety,” Bowman said. “That was the nature of the call.”

Bowman said he’d seen Eadie’s public apology and accepts it.

aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca