In a video posted to social media over the weekend, the mayor of Antioch confirmed that he had been cited by police for driving under the influence early Saturday and asked his constituents for forgiveness.
Sitting on a sofa in a dark suit and directly facing the camera, Mayor Lamar Thorpe promised to “grow and learn” from the experience, saying he takes full responsibility.
“Last night, after having dinner with a friend, I was pulled over by a California Highway Patroller and cited for driving under the influence,” Thorpe said in the minute-long video posted to social media.
He added, “I hope you can forgive me.”
I’m issuing the following statement: q pic.twitter.com/guRzoTkkQt — Mayor Lamar A. Thorpe (@LamarThorpe) March 19, 2022
Thorpe was driving a gray Volvo northbound on Interstate 680 near the Monument Boulevard exit at 1:15 a.m. Saturday when he was pulled over, according to a statement from the CHP. He was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol and released from custody at 3:35 a.m., the CHP said.
The statement by CHP Golden Gate Division specified that Thorpe’s arrest was completely unrelated to a crash under investigation in the area.
Thorpe is currently the target of a recall campaign that was launched in September. The group Recall Mayor Lamar Thorpe reacted to the DUI arrest on its homepage, posting a copy of the citation and stating, “Drunk driving is not a lapse of judgment. It is a deliberate decision.”
The group has until May 11 to collect the 9,511 signatures required to qualify the recall for the ballot. A petition on Change.org had gathered more than 1,200 signatures as of Monday.