Rob Ford to Miami cop: 'Take me to jail'

Toronto mayoral candidate Rob Fordtold aMiami police officer to "go ahead take me to jail"just before he wasarrested in Florida 11 years ago on charges of drunk driving and marijuana possession, according to a police document.

An arrest affidavitwrittenby a Miami-Dade police officer on Feb. 15, 1999,states that Ford's car was pulled over at 1:30 a.m. becauseits lights were off.

When the officer asked Ford for his licence and registration, Ford got out of the car, "threw his hands up in the air and said 'go ahead take me to jail,'" the affidavit said.

Ford also took out all of his money and threw it onto the ground, the officer wrote.

The officer noted that he could "smell a strong odour of an alcoholic beverage on his breath. His eyes were bloodshot."

Ford also appeared to be "acting nervous," and after searching him, the officer found a "marijuana joint" in his right rear pants pocket.

Speaking at a Thursday morning news conference that he called to address an article in the Toronto Sun in which he admitted to being charged with marijuana possession after the incident, Ford revealedhe also pleaded guilty to refusing to give abreath sample.

"I guess I had a few drinks at [a] Valentine's dinner with my wife. And it was a mistake. I shouldn't have been driving," he said.

Ford said he was fined andhad to do 50 hours of community service as a result of his plea. He fulfilled that requirement by coaching football.

Hesaid he was arrested, booked and then released,and never had to appear in court to face the marijuana charge.

'Forgot' marijuana charge

When the Sun first asked him about the incident, he denied ever being charged. But helater backtracked after being provided with Florida state records of his arrest, saying he "completely forgot" about the episode.

"When somebody discusses[the marijuana charge]with me, the first thing that pops into my head was failing to provide a breath sample," Ford said Thursday.

Polls suggest Ford is among the frontrunners in the race to replace outgoing Mayor David Miller in the Oct. 25 municipal election. The other major mayoral candidates are Coun. Joe Pantalone, former Liberal Party national director Rocco Rossi, former Ontario health minister George Smitherman and publisher Sarah Thomson.

"I am not perfect. I have never claimed to be perfect," Ford said. "I truly believe this election is not about mistakes I made 11 years ago by me or by any other candidate that has made mistakes. It's about today and tomorrow."

Ford said he doesn't have a criminal record, butconfirmedhe had been charged with criminal offences two other times. When he was 18, he was charged with assault in relation to a hockey fight, but the chargewasdismissed.

In 2008, he was charged with assault and uttering a death threat against his wife. Both of those chargeswere later withdrawn.