Man charged with criminally harassing Sudbury, Ont., mayor at his home

Sudbury -

A 33-year-old man has been charged with causing a disturbance at the home of Greater Sudbury Mayor Brian Bigger on Tuesday, Greater Sudbury Police said.

Police were called at 2 p.m. regarding an unwanted person at Bigger's home.

"Information provided was that a man had attended the residence and began causing a disturbance, banging on the front door and yelling while videotaping the home," police said in a news release Wednesday. "This caused Mayor Bigger and his family to fear for their safety."

Bigger told CTV's Ian Campbell that he was grateful to Sudbury police, and said harassing people at home isn't appropriate.

"You need to remember we are people, too, and hopefully people can respect our privacy and the safety of our family members," he said.

"This is not the first time incidents have occurred but this one was more serious and, you know, we're in unprecedented and stressful times."

The man left before police arrived, but were able to identify the man responsible and arrested him around 11:20 p.m.

The suspect was arrested and charged with criminal harassment and was released on an undertaking. He is due in court Jan. 26. Police said his name can't be released because the information has not yet been sworn to through the court process.

"This is a reminder that there are proper and appropriate channels available to community members who are looking to contact public officials," police said.

"Attending an individual’s private residence is not an appropriate avenue. Please be respectful of their privacy and the privacy and safety of their family members."

The criminal harassment charge was dropped Jan. 23, 2023.