East side Councilman Alan Warrick, who is facing a tough runoff election in less than two weeks, apologized Sunday for a bizarre incident on Friday in which he hinted that he must have been drugged before he was found passed out on a City Hall bench, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
"I have spoken to the bar owner and I have reviewed the videos, and it seems like I just had too much to drink," Warrick wrote on Facebook.
"I was celebrating a friend's birthday, and don't remember any of the night after midnight (Friday).. "I have never had this type of memory lapse with alcohol use, which is why I thought I must have been drugged."
In addition to bar owner Justin Vitek at On The Rocks Pub, where Warrick was drinking Thursday night, he also apologized to his wife and to Cruz Shaw, the attorney who Warrick is facing in the June 10th runoff.
"I do not know how I ended up at City Hall, but I do know I was not driving." He doesn't know how he got from the bar, which is located at Commerce and Alamo, to City Hall, six blocks away.
Reaction to the incident appears to be mixed in Warrick's East side Council district.
Many constituents praised Warrick for standing up and taking responsibility for his actions.
"You did the right thing.. A real man admits his mistakes" former Councilman Mario Salas said.. "Only dead folks don't make mistakes."
Several of Warrick's constituents pointed to last year's drunk driving arrest of North side Commissioner Kevin Wolff, pointing out that Wolff was easily re-elected after that incidents, and pointing out that Warrick was not driving and was not arrested.
"An honest politician willing to step up and take responsibility for his actions," Joan Harper Rackey wrote.. "Integrity and honesty.. They are lucky to have you."
Several of Warrick's constituents stressed the plan to vote for him in the runoff, some specifically because he took responsibility for his actions.
But others weren't so willing to forgive and forget.
"Disgusting behavior for a City Councilman, or any person for that matter," Carolyn Lou Bivens-Price wrote.