Kristin Mink Releases Statement Regarding the “Flat Tire Story”

Montgomery County Councilmember Kristin Mink has released a statement following an occurrence involving a flat tire and call to Montgomery County Third District Police Commander David McBain. The flat tire occurred following a meeting of the East County Citizens Advisory Board in Briggs Chaney on Monday night. The full statement, which went out on the Councilmember’s Facebook page on Friday evening, can be seen below:

“In case anyone was curious about the flat tire story, here’s what happened:

On Monday night, I attended a meeting of the East County Citizens Advisory Board in Briggs Chaney. Montgomery County Third District Police Commander David McBain and several other officers were also in attendance. When I left the meeting around 9:30 pm, I drove about three blocks down Briggs Chaney Road before getting a flat tire. I came to a stop in the left turn lane in the middle of the roadway, as there was no shoulder.

The first thing I did was inform my husband to contact AAA to get my car towed. After that, I let MCPD know that my car was blocking a lane and was a potential hazard to other drivers. Knowing that Commander McBain and other officers might still be within a few blocks of where I was stopped, I called to let him know about the situation. I did not ask for nor expect my tire to be replaced or repaired by police while I was waiting for the AAA tow truck to arrive – and indeed, they did not. Eventually, officers arrived and offered to inflate my tire enough that I could drive to the parking lot three blocks away. Once there, I waited alone for about an hour for AAA to tow my car, and then I took the bus home.

While my intent was to resolve the safety issue as quickly as possible by calling a nearby officer, I should have used the public non-emergency line, and I apologize for contacting Commander McBain directly. I appreciate the professionalism of the officers who responded and enabled me to get my vehicle off a major county road while I waited for the tow truck to arrive. I have sent a letter to the county’s Ethics Commission about this incident, for their awareness.”

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