PUNTA GORDA, Fla — Punta Gorda Police Officers removed city manager, Greg Murray, from a bar on W. Marion Ave. Friday night, according to a police report and body camera video.
Murray was not arrested and faces no charges from what happened.
Fox 4 Punta Gorda Community Correspondent, Alex Orenczuk, was first to report the incident. Hours after the encounter, he got a tip that people were concerned about Murray.
Monday, Orenczuk requested and received the video.
Watch his full report here:
The video shows police officers responding to Shorty's Place because the bar manager complained that Murray was causing a disturbance.
Monday afternoon, about the same time Orenzcuk got the police video, the city released a media statement that said, "We have received and appreciate the heartfelt concerns from many residents regarding the health and well-being of our City Manager, Greg Murray."
Click here to read the city's media release:
The statement said Murray's medical issue involved "regulating his blood chemistry," and that Murray recovered and was back at work the following day.
The release said, "Greg deeply regrets any distress or confusion that may have arisen during this episode."
But the officers who responded to Shorty's said it appeared Murray had been drinking too much.
Punta Gorda Police gave Fox 4 more than 75 minutes of officer body camera video from the encounter. They provided it in four clips. You can watch all four right here, unedited. WARNING: There is graphic language.
In the video, the bar manager told police an argument started over betting shots in a game of pool."
"I went back to see what's wrong and they [said] we bet a shot and he's not paying me the shot," the manager said.
He also told police that Murray claimed he was the chief of police.
"He identified that he was," the bar manager told the officer in the video. "Now he's going to try to drive and that dude is stumbling all over the place."
The bar manager said Murray eventually came clean about who he is.
"And he's like, 'I'll talk to you how I want, I'm the city manager here,'" the bar manager said.
Minutes later there was this exchange:
- Officer: "Have you asked him to leave and he said he's not going to leave?"
- Bar Manager: "I don't want to have issues with the city."
The officer then tried to convince Murray to let him drive him home. He went into his squad car and called the police station to get Murray's address.
"He's drunk. I don't want to say much I'm on camera," the officer said.
At several points in the video, Murray had to hang on to an officer to keep his balance. And he seemed to struggle to put his sandals on his feet.
The Reporting Officer Narrative says another officer was "concerned about Gregory's level of intoxication or potential medical issues."
Click here to read the entire Reporting Officer Narrative:
Eventually the officers got Murray into a car and took him to the hospital.
They were concerned about leaving him alone. One said, "He's got to go. We can't let him go home like that, that drunk."
At the hospital, the first responders had to convince Murray to go inside.
"We've treated you with the utmost respect to make sure you're clear and healthy," one officer told Murray in the video. "But we need to get you inside right now."
Once inside the hospital, the video goes black, but audio still appears to be recording.
You can hear a voice say, "It's the city manager, so if you can do it, put him a back room so he won't be around anybody else."
Monday night a Punta Gorda City Council Member posted on Nextdoor that Murray had a diabetic attack. There is no mention of that condition in the police video or the city's news release.
All of this happened less than 48 hours before Tropical Storm Debby flooded part of the city Murray is in charge of running.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
