|
| |
Councillor admits he was arrested before election; [Final Edition]
Harold Munro. The Vancouver Sun. Vancouver, B.C.: Apr 20, 2000. pg. B.4
Author(s): Harold Munro
Document types: Crime
Section: News
Publication title: The Vancouver Sun. Vancouver, B.C.: Apr 20,
2000. pg. B.4
Source type: Newspaper
ISSN/ISBN: 08321299
ProQuest document ID: 223685081
Text Word Count 533
Full Text (533 words)
(Copyright The Vancouver Sun 2000)
Three months before his election to Langley township council in November,
1999 Bob Long was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving while riding his
motorcycle late at night.
The incident remained under wraps until Long issued a news release this
week in which he apologized to township residents for his "mistake" and
asked for forgiveness.
He said in an interview Wednesday that he wrestled over whether to tell
voters during last fall's election campaign -- a period when he was prohibited
from driving -- but decided the matter had nothing to do with his quest for
public office.
"Perhaps I should have said something back then," Long conceded.
He said he decided to come forward now before people learned about the
charge in some other way.
The councillor has pleaded not guilty to one count of failure to provide an
adequate breath sample after being approached shortly before midnight Aug. 20 by
a Langley RCMP officer.
"I wasn't being as cooperative as he would have liked me to have been," said
Long, owner of a graphic arts and design shop.
Earlier that night, Long said, he attended a Langley Chamber of Commerce
dinner where he had two beers before heading to a local bar with a friend for
two Caesar cocktails.
Long said he consumed the four drinks over a three-hour period and then
climbed on his motorcycle and headed alone to the take-out window of a
fast-food restaurant for a hamburger at about 11 p.m.
Long said the next stop was a roadside field near the Canada- U.S. border
on Zero Avenue near 256th Street -- one of his favourite locations -- where he
ate the burger and stared at the stars.
"When I went to leave, there was dew on the ground and my back wheel was
spinning in a rut," Long said.
A passing RCMP cruiser stopped to question Long about whether he had just
crossed illegally into Canada from the U.S.
"At that point I was quite embarrassed by my situation," Long said.
It was also at this point that the police officer asked Long to blow into a
breathalyser device.
Long said he made repeated attempts to follow the officer's directions --
blowing into the breathalyser four times -- but a proper sample was not
registered.
Long was arrested, suspended from driving for 24 hours and told he would be
charged with failure to provide an adequate breath sample.
On Oct. 13, as the November election race was heating up, Long had his
driver's licence suspended by the motor vehicle branch for three months in
connection with the incident.
The councillor was formally charged in January and a trial date has been set
for August in Surrey provincial court. Under the Municipal Act, Long would not
be required to vacate his council seat should he be convicted.
While insisting he was not intoxicated, Long says he should not have parked
so late at night in a secluded area near the international border.
"It's a mistake that I regret and I ask the citizens to forgive me."
As a result of the whole affair, Long said, he swore off alcohol about six
weeks ago and hasn't had a drink since.
|
