Report illuminates Auburn mayor’s arrest

AUBURN – Police who arrested Mayor Normand Guay for drunken driving described an off-balance man who weaved, stumbled and twice nearly fell down during a field sobriety test.

A 16-page police report, obtained by the Lewiston Sun Journal, came to light as a former U.S. Attorney began investigating whether stalled contract negotiations with the police union were a factor in the Aug. 4 arrest.

After Guay was taken into custody, he was given a Breathalyzer test that showed his blood-alcohol level was .01 percent, far below the legal limit of .08. He was issued a summons despite the fact that he was not legally drunk.

The police report spells out the circumstances that led to the mayor being taken in handcuffs to the police station.

Several officers stated that Guay appeared impaired when he arrived at the City Building after leaving Gipper’s Sports Grill in Auburn.

Shortly before Guay was pulled over, two off-duty officers flagged down an on-duty police sergeant to report the mayor appeared “hammered,” according to the report. One of the off-duty officers, Chad Syphers, is president of the local police union.

Officer Matthew Prince was asked to keep an eye on the mayor as he left the city building. In the report, Prince stated that Guay was driving erratically.

The officer pulled over the mayor, who demonstrated signs of drunkenness during a field sobriety test, according to the report.

Prince wrote that Guay was unable to complete a “walk-and-turn” task administered as part of the test.

Guay said afterward that a corn on his foot may have hampered his ability to walk straight and maintain balance.

He acknowledged consuming three beers and told an officer he was taking a prescription drug the night he was pulled over, according to the report.

That detail contradicts what Guay said in a press conference a day after he was summoned. The mayor said he had not taken medication since June.

The case against Guay is being investigated by Auburn police, the District Attorney’s Office and the Attorney General’s Office.

City councilors also agreed Monday to hire a Portland law firm to review the events that led up to Guay’s arrest. Jay McCloskey, a former U.S. attorney, began the investigation by reviewing police records, City Manager Pat Finnigan said.