South Bend Tribune Wants Council Member To Resign Following Drunk Driving Arrest

South Bend Common Council member Henry Davis, Jr.

The arrest of a controversial city council member this past weekend is the last straw for the editors of the South Bend Tribune. "South Bend common council member Henry Davis, Jr. should resign," an editorial in the newspaper declares. Davis was arrested for suspicion of operating a vehicle while intoxicated after a St. Joseph County sheriff's deputy stopped him for driving west in the eastbound lane of the St. Joseph Valley Parkway at 3 a.m. Saturday morning. Davis admitted to consuming alcohol but denied being drunk. A portable breath test recorded a blood alcohol level of 0.14. He refused to take a certified breath test.

In January, Davis stirred controversy when he posted an obscene bestiality photo on his Facebook page, which he explained was "an unfortunate mistake." He recently stirred controversy again with an offensive Twitter post he made about Republicans and abortion. Davis has also tussled with South Bend Police. He came under fire in 2012 after sending a letter to the Justice Department accusing members of the police department of racial bias after improper recordings were made by city officials of their phone calls. Several police officers are suing him, accusing him of libel. He was later given two traffic citations by police and charged with resisting arrest, which he claimed was in retaliation for the letter he sent to the Justice Department. "Davis knows what he's done and if poor judgment has again ended in actions that disrespect the public, then Davis should take responsibility and do the right thing by stepping down," the Tribune editorial reads.