Fort Wayne, Indiana’s Democrat Mayor was given a suspended year-long sentence last week after he pleaded guilty to driving drunk and crashing into another car.
Mayor Tom Henry had pleaded guilty to operating while intoxicated in a manner endangering a person just two days after the October 8 drunk driving incident in which Henry and his wife Cindy were involved in a crash that damaged the other driver’s car but left her uninjured.
His blood alcohol level at the time was nearly twice the legal limit. Henry was arrested and held in the Allen County Jail where he stayed for less than 24 hours before being released. Hours after his release from jail, Henry read a statement to reporters apologizing for “the poor decision” he made when he chose to drive after drinking at “a local function” Saturday evening.
Henry stated that he, like every other Fort Wayne resident, would be held accountable for his actions, adding that he would “adhere to the legal process” and would “accept the consequences.”
In addition to receiving a suspended sentence, Henry was also ordered to pay the other driver $3,000 in restitution. He will also pay a $25 fine and $800 in court costs and fees. The court dismissed the charge of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, however, Henry’s license is currently suspended. Despite his arrest, Henry remains in office.
Tom Henry was first elected mayor in 2007. In June, he announced he would run for a fifth term in November 2023, despite previously suggesting that he wouldn’t. A spokesman for the mayor said he still plans to run for reelection.
Tom Didier, a Republican who plans to run against Henry in 2023has known the Henry family for years.
After the accident, Didier encouraged people to pray for the Henry family and “all those involved” in the accident, adding that there are relationships that “go beyond politics.”
