Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Katie Bolger: "I Have Embarrassed Myself, Family, Friends and Co-Workers, and For That I Am Truly Sorry"

Posted By on Tue, Apr 9, 2013 at 2:11 PM

Katie Bolger, the chief of staff for City Councilman Paul Cunningham, has asked Tucson Weekly to publish her apology to the community for her behavior following a run-in with police last week:

Open Letter to my fellow Tucsonans:

On Friday, March 22, I conducted myself in a manner that is deeply embarrassing. I am extremely regretful and offer my apologies to the men and women of the Tucson Police Department, who were doing their jobs serving the community.

I was walking home after a night out on Fourth Avenue. I crossed Speedway at Fifth Avenue and was stopped by a Tucson police officer. The officer informed me that another car had to perform an “evasive” maneuver to avoid hitting me.

Instead of acknowledging that I had dangerously crossed the road, I became angry with the officer. Three more patrol cars responded to the scene and I became verbally offensive.

Multiple times I was asked to sign the citation for jaywalking, but I stubbornly refused and instead spent the night in jail. On Sunday March 24, I called Tucson Police Chief Villasenor to offer my apologies for my rude, inexcusable, unprofessional conduct towards his officers.

I am a public official in that I serve as a staff member for an elected City Councilman. For this, I am held to a higher standard of public conduct—as I should be.

I write this letter not only as an apology to the officers who were witness and subject to my unbecoming conduct, but to the residents of the City of Tucson.

I was born and raised here in Tucson. I have never lived anywhere else. I am blessed in many ways. I have been given the opportunity to work for the City I love.

I have embarrassed myself, family, friends, and co-workers, and for that I am truly sorry.

I want to thank Councilman Cunningham for believing that I am worth a second chance serving in his office. My goal is to prove to him, and the Tucson community, it is a chance worth taking.

—Katie Bolger

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