New video shows ranting mayor

Associated Press

TORONTO

A new video that surfaced Thursday showed Toronto Mayor Rob Ford threatening to “murder” someone and “poke his eyes out” in a rambling rage, deepening the conviction among both critics and allies that he no longer is fit to lead North America’s fourth-largest city.

The mayor told reporters moments after the video was posted online that he was “extremely, extremely inebriated” in it and “embarrassed” by it. The context of the video is unknown, and it’s unclear who the target of Ford’s wrath is. The video, which appeared at length on the Toronto Star’s website and in clips on the Toronto Sun’s website, prompted round of calls for Ford to step down.

The controversy surrounding Ford escalated last week when police announced they had obtained a different, long-sought video that shows Ford smoking a crack pipe. After months of evading the question, Ford admitted Tuesday to smoking crack in a “drunken stupor” about a year ago.

Despite immense pressure, the mayor has refused to resign or take a leave of absence.

Ford, who is married with two school-age children, said Thursday he made mistakes, and “all I can do is reassure the people. I don’t know what to say.”

“It’s extremely embarrassing. The whole world is going to see it,” said Ford, who is 44.

City council members stepped up efforts to force Ford out of office, although there is no clear legal path for doing so.

In the blurry and shaky new video, Ford paces around, frantically waves his arms and rolls up his sleeves as he says he’ll “make sure” the unknown person is dead.

Ford tells another person in the room, possibly the man filming the video, that he wants to “kill” someone. “Cause I’m going to kill that [expletive] guy,” Ford says. “No holds barred brother. He dies or I die.”