Counselor: City violated law by withholding arrest records

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) — Indiana’s public access counselor says Fort Wayne officials violated the state’s public records laws by not releasing police body camera footage and other records related to the recent drunken driving arrest of the city’s mayor.

Luke Britt said Tuesday in an advisory opinion that he doesn’t see any policies or legal reason to justify withholding an incident report of body camera footage for Mayor Tom Henry.

Days after his October arrest, the 70-year-old Democrat pleaded guilty to operating a vehicle while intoxicated, endangering a person.

The Journal Gazette reports that Mayoral spokesman John Perlich says city officials are reviewing Britt’s opinion and will release a formal response “in the near future.”