The wife of an Illinois mayor was busted by police at a social gathering in a bar, in violation of the state's stay-at-home order meant to slow the spread of coronavirus.
Now, Alton Mayor Brant Walker said he is "embarrassed by this incident" and has apologized to the residents of his town, which is just 25 miles north of St. Louis.
"I was also made aware that my wife was in attendance at this prohibited social gathering," Walker wrote in a Facebook statement. "I instructed the police chief to treat her as he would any citizen violating the 'Stay At Home' order and to ensure that she received no special treatment."
Last week, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker announced he would push the statewide stay-at-home order through April 30.
According to the Illinois Department of Health, the state has 13,549 confirmed cases of coronavirus, including 380 deaths.
Walker said his wife is ultimately responsible for her own actions.
"My wife is an adult capable of making her own decisions, and in this instance she exhibited a stunning lack of [judgment]," he added. "She now faces the same consequences for her ill-advised decision as the other individuals who chose to violate the 'stay-at-home' order during this incident."
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