Toronto Mayor Rob Ford speaks at a luncheon for the Toronto Real Estate Board on June 14, 2013.The Globe and Mail
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford won't commit to using a bodyguard even after a woman allegedly threw a drink at him over the weekend.
Mr. Ford was hit by a drink on Saturday during the Taste of Little Italy street festival. During his radio show Sunday, the mayor said "it's time to get my own security guys," but also said he was uncomfortable with the idea.
Councillor Doug Ford, the mayor's brother, said Monday the mayor is "starting to realize" he might need a security detail at public events but a decision has not been made.
"At the end of the day, he's the boss," Councillor Ford said of the mayor.
Mayor Ford has previously refused to hire a driver, despite pleas from his brother and police after he was photographed apparently reading while driving on the Gardiner Expressway last summer. At the time, the mayor called a driver a "waste of taxpayers' money."
Councillor Ford said Monday the police already have a unit dedicated to protecting dignitaries so it's not as if the mayor would be pulling an officer from the street if he sometimes opted for a security detail.
"Someone's going to get hurt. It's just the right thing to do. Hopefully we can all convince him it's the right thing to do," he said.
The mayor spoke only briefly with city hall reporters about the incident. When asked if he would get a security detail, he told a reporter, "You're my security."
Councillor Ford, who said some of the juice landed in his brother's eyes and stung, spoke with the woman who allegedly threw the drink after the incident. He said she seemed apologetic, but did not appear to be "in her right mind" at the time.
Shannon Everett, 27, is to appear in court on July 23 on an assault charge.
Ms. Everett did not respond to messages Monday seeking comment. The allegations against her have not been proven in court.
With files from Jill Mahoney