Local ‘I obviously did annoy her’: former fire chief

—

Asked what he did before he started bothering Rudolph, Bennett said he thought he might have tried to grab a beer from a table in the room as he stood just inside the doorway and then started “pestering” Rudolph.

Like she did on the reason for showing up in the first place, Tobias quizzed him on his motivation for doing so.

“I guess to get a rise out of her, probably,” Bennett replied. “Ms. Rudolph can give it as well as she can take it and I was just in a pestering mood.”

Bennett differed with Tobias’ suggestion pestering Rudolph had become a “habit” but did say it was something “we usually did and she would bark back or have some snide comment back.”

Bennett said he “quite possibly” wanted to annoy her.

“Did you or didn’t you?” Tobias continued.

“I obviously did annoy her,” Bennett replied.

Asked if he remembered whether Rudolph’s hair was in a ponytail or braid, Bennett did not give a direct answer. “It was poking through her hat,” he said.

He denied pulling on Rudolph’s hair, saying he “flipped” it instead and persisted on doing so despite being told to stop in what Tobias said was “fairly colourful language.”

“You didn’t care that she was annoyed, that she didn’t want you to do that, did you?” Tobias told Bennett. “I guess that was my state of mind,” he replied.

Bennett went on to deny Tobias’ assertion he asked Rudolph to have sex with him in his office, saying he clearly remembered not saying such a thing, “nor would I ever.”

Bennett agreed he pulled off her hat and Rudolph pulled it back and told him to stop.

“Isn’t this enough?,” Tobias asked. “You’ve got a room full of people, you’ve gone there to find out how the training went. Why were you bugging her?”

“I can’t answer that question,” Bennett said.

“You don’t remember,” Tobias continued.

“I was just bugging her,” Bennett replied in a more forceful tone.

Bennett said he went on to poke her despite Rudolph making it clear she wanted him to stop. He denied reaching around her body and Rudolph’s claim she put her arms up to stop him but agreed two other firefighters stood up and told him to stop.

Given that he’s the chief of the department, Tobias contended the decision by the other two to step in was “extreme” and suggested they did so because Bennett was doing more than just poking her.

“That is incorrect,” Bennett said.

On another alleged incident, Bennett admitted he had been drinking his “fair share” on the evening of Aug. 4, 2013 but denied pinning and trying to rape Joy Reierson while the two were alone in a radio room at the department’s main hall.

Bennett said he had been drinking beer while alone in a fenced compound out back of the fire hall as a way to deal with the stress he had been facing.

“I had a lot of my mind and I just needed some time to get my poop in a group, I guess type thing and that’s where I was,” Bennett said.

Bennett confirmed he had taken a six-pack with him sometime around 5 or 5:30 p.m. when his workday at the hall had finished. Bennett said he drank all six and had nothing to eat when he returned to the main building sometime after 7 p.m.

He admitted to “feeling a little wobbly” and slurring his words.

“You were feeling the effects?” Tobias asked. “Absolutely,” Bennett answered.

By that time, volunteers in the department were close to finishing an officers’ meeting. As fire chief, Bennett agreed it “probably would’ve” made more sense for him to have gone home particularly given that his wife was sick.

Bennett said he arrived just in time for the “chief’s corner” portion of the meeting and being in a “warm, fuzzy mood,” he was “basically throwing out accolades.”

Once the meeting ended, Bennett said he asked Joy Reierson for a brief meeting to talk about concerns she had been having with her position as secretary-treasurer of the department’s charitable wing.

When Tobias asked why it seemed like a good idea at the time, given his condition and the fact he had chosen not to attend an officers’ meeting, Bennett did not reply directly, saying “that was my decision that night.”

He also agreed the meeting with Reierson had not been prearranged and there was no particular reason for holding it at that time. And he agreed he did not immediately tell Reierson the topic he wanted to discuss.

Contrary to Reierson’s testimony, Bennett said he did not lock the door. But he did say he closed it and went on to say the door might have been the type that locks by itself but was not sure.

Bennett repeated testimony he gave Wednesday about what happened next – that they talked about her concerns and about his wife, who was dealing with a difficult pregnancy.

Bennett agreed with testimony that another member of the department had briefly dropped in to offer Bennett a ride home. Bennett said he turned it down because he wanted to wait until his wife was in bed so he wouldn’t get in trouble.

The matter ended with Reierson volunteering to take him home. But she had changed her mind by the time they had left the hall. Bennett said he was only joking when he put up a fight when two others pulled him out of her SUV.

Asked about Rivard’s testimony that Reierson did not seem to be her “usual self,” Bennett said his drunkenness could have played a role but maintained he had “done nothing to her” in terms of making sexual advances.

The trial continues today.

Contrary to Reierson’s testimony, Bennett said he did not lock the door.