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Mayor makes citizen's arrest at public information meeting

It appears retirement hasn’t dulled mayor Keith Hobbs’ policing skills. The mayor and former Thunder Bay Police Service officer made a citizen’s arrest during the Mining Readiness Strategy public information session on Tuesday.
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Police arrive at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium on April 9, 2013. (Jeff Labine, tbnewswatch.com)

It appears retirement hasn’t dulled mayor Keith Hobbs’ policing skills.

The mayor and former Thunder Bay Police Service officer made a citizen’s arrest during the Mining Readiness Strategy public information session on Tuesday. A man was shouting obscenities to program manager Stephen Lindley as he was giving his presentation at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium.

Hobbs took hold of the man and led him outside. Hobbs said the man appeared intoxicated.

“I never thought I’d be in this position again,” he said. “I thought those days were behind me. He was getting vulgar and there’s no place for that here. I told him he was under arrest for causing a disturbance. He was shouting and swearing. When I got him outside he started resisting so I just grounded him.”

Fortunately, a former police officer came to help the mayor with the man. A few minutes later police arrived and took the man into custody.

Hobbs said he just wanted to talk about mining today.

“I was just saying to my policy and research assistant today ‘that I’m glad I’m not a police officer anymore. I really love what I’m doing’,” he said.  “I just thought those days were over.”

Police say the mayor made the arrest as a peace officer.

Police confirmed that the man was intoxicated and was kept at the Balmoral Street police station until he was sober.

The man was charged with being intoxicated in a public place and fined $65. Police also issued a trespassing notice at the request of the auditorium staff.

The definition of a peace officer includes a mayor, warden, a reeve, sheriff or a member of the Correctional Service of Canada. Under the Criminal Code of Canada, a peace officer may place a person under arrest if they believe the person has breached the peace.


 





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