Tom Henry, Fort Wayne mayor, arrested for causing accident while drink driving

Tom Henry, the mayor of Fort Wayne, Indiana‘s second largest city was arrested and booked into the Allen County Jail on Sunday after causing a car accident because of drinking and driving. He has since been released.

The Democrat and his wife Cindy Henry were involved in the crash although no injuries were reported, according to a report from abc7Chicago.  A mugshot of the mayor was released on the Allen County jail website with a capture date of October 9.

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Shortly after the incident was reported, his office released a statement to NBC News, which said, “Mayor Tom Henry was involved in a motor vehicle crash late Saturday. Upon arrival, officers determined that the Mayor appeared to be impaired. After tests were conducted, that was confirmed.”

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After his release on Sunday, the mayor held a press conference where he extended his apologies for his behaviour. 

“I accept full responsibility for my actions. I am relieved that no one was hurt in the incident,” he said. “want to praise the men and women of the Fort Wayne Police Department who handled this situation with professionalism and followed all of the correct procedures and protocols. I am sorry that I put you in such a situation last evening as I can assure you that I know better.”

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He went on to say that he was like every other resident of Fort Wayne and that he would be held accountable for his actions in future legal proceedings, adding that he respects the legal process, will adhere to it and will “accept the consequences.”

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Henry has been serving as the mayor of Fort Wayne since 2008 and has been the longest tenured senior government official in the city. Earlier this year in June he announced that he would be running for a fifth term.