Coun. Ross Eadie's fate on Winnipeg Police Board to be decided in weeks
CBC News | Posted: January 8, 2016 9:06 PM | Last Updated: January 9, 2016
City councillor suspended as police board reviews his conduct following Nov. 7 incident
Ross Eadie says he has no plans to resign from the Winnipeg Police Board, which is reviewing the city councillor's conduct following an incident that landed him in a "drunk tank" in November.
The Mynarski councillor has not attended any police board meetings since the Nov. 7 incident, in which he woke up at the Main Street Project — an emergency shelter with an alcohol detox unit — following a night out.
Eadie's fate as a member of the board could be decided in the next couple of weeks.
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"While we are doing inquires, there is a requirement under the code of ethics for a person to refrain [from] activities on the board," Barry Tuckett, the board's vice-chair, told reporters on Friday.
"You can use the term suspended; basically, Coun. Eadie has to refrain from any activities on the board until our inquiries are completed."
Tuckett is leading the review as board chair Scott Gillingham is recusing himself in this case to avoid any inference of bias, since he and Eadie are both councillors.
The board has been looking into Eadie's conduct for the past few weeks, he said. Information about what happened will be gathered and judged according to the board's code of conduct, Tuckett said.
Range of outcomes
"If there is a breach, there could be a number of consequences," he said. "It could be just a reprimand, could be asking for a resignation or asking the mayor …"
Eadie said while the incident has been embarrassing, he has not violated the board's code of conduct.
"It is strenuous and whenever we're in the media here, my sister in Athabasca city is reading in the paper about her drunk brother. It's very humiliating, and I'm just really looking forward to it being over," he said.
Eadie has previously acknowledged that he was likely belligerent after he "had way too much to drink" at multiple bars and venues with a friend before he ended up at the Main Street Project on the morning of Nov. 7.
He said someone phoned the mayor's office after he left the shelter to report what happened.
"I passed out — I don't recall anything — in a public place, and I was treated that way," Eadie said. "So whatever their decision is, I will have to make some decisions at that point."