Last week a mayor in Illinois ordered the city’s police department to issue citations and arrests after residents were not following the state’s stay at home order.
On Friday, mayor of Alton Illinois, Brant Walker said “These are very serious times and I’m begging you to please stay at home,”
Posted by Mayor Brant Walker on Friday, April 3, 2020
The city’s police department immediately began to break up gatherings at Hiram’s Tavern in downtown Alton. Mayor Brant Walker’s wife was among those in attendance at the prohibited social gatherings.
Walker released a statement saying he instructed the Police Chief to treat her as he would any citizen violating the ‘Stay At Home’ order.
Walker also said “she now faces the same consequences for her ill-advised decision as the other individuals who chose to violate the ‘Stay At Home’ order during this incident.”
“I am embarrassed by this incident and apologize to the citizens of Alton for any embarrassment this incident may cause our City,” he added.
Illinois’ stay at home order prohibits all public and private gatherings of any number of people outside a single household or living unit.
Officers issued a criminal complaint for reckless conduct to everyone who had gathered at the bar. A criminal complaint for reckless conduct is a class A misdemeanor charge punishable by up to 364 days in jail and/or a fine of $2,500.