A mayor in suburban St. Louis, faced with an increase in gatherings violating the state’s “Stay at Home” order, asked his town’s police department on Friday to “more strictly enforce” the governor’s executive order.

Brant Walker, Mayor of Alton, Illinois got a big surprise early Sunday morning when he was contacted by the Police Chief, who informed him that police officers were busting an illegal gathering at Hiram’s Tavern, a downtown Alton establishment, and that Walker’s wife was among the attendees.

A mayor ordered police to crack down on social gatherings. They found his wife at a bar. https://t.co/hOzOlBL2nt pic.twitter.com/xFlzo0Ua1n

— Jim Roberts (@nycjim) April 7, 2020

In a statement issued Monday, the Mayor said (in part):

At approximately 1am on Sunday morning, I was informed by the Police Chief that the Alton Police Department was investigating and stopping a social gathering in downtown Alton that was occurring in violation of the provisions of the statewide “Stay At Home” order.

I was also made aware that my wife was in attendance at this prohibited social gathering. 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.

My wife is an adult capable of making her own decisions, and in this instance, she exhibited a stunning lack of judgement. 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.

I am embarrassed by this incident and apologize to the citizens of Alton for any embarrassment this incident may cause our City.

Call me crazy, but if Walker wasn’t aware that his wife was out at 1 a.m. on a Sunday morning on a weekend where every establishment in the state is supposed to be shut down, he might have a bigger problem than being embarrassed for the City. It would be interesting to know what excuse she gave him.