CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Charleston Mayor Danny Jones told reporters Friday he apologized to a man who was arrested Thursday night for walking his dog along the Kanawha Boulevard where the Rod, Run and Doo Wop Car show is taking place all weekend.
“I apologized to him and I apologize now for what happened to him last night,” said Jones at a news conference held at Charleston City Hall.
Bradford Sims, 44, of Charleston, was charged with trespassing, but Jones said the charge would be dropped.
“Technically, the arrest wasn’t, in my view, lawful,” Jones said.
According to the criminal complaint, Sims was walking his dog near Haddad Riverfront Park when two Charleston police officers approached him and asked him to leave. Sims refused and told officers, several times, his dog was using the bathroom. The officers explained that the car show organizers have certain rules against animals being near the antique cars.
The complaint said Sims told police “if letting his dog use the restroom gets him arrested, then so be it.”
According to West Virginia Motor Car Festival, no animals, unless they are service dogs, or persons are allowed on the Boulevard after 10 p.m. during this weekend’s event.
“The police officer thought he could remove him (Sims) and he can’t because it’s Haddad Park, at least not without an ordinance or a state law or something that says he’s trespassing. It’s hard to trespass in a public place,” said Jones.
For this reason, Jones said City Council may need to look at a possible ordinance that outlines rights to not allow animals on the street while an event is taking place.
“I can understand, as an antique car owner, why you wouldn’t want dogs on your car. I don’t want my own dogs on my own car,” he said.
Sims did cooperate with police following his arrest, Jones said. “He wasn’t happy about spending the night in jail. He was glad to be a free person and he didn’t seem angry.”
The ordinance could be taken up during the next City Council meeting set for Monday evening.