No Comment From Officer In DUI Fatality

The Indy Channel ^ | August 11, 2010 | News 6

[Fundamentally Fair]

INDIANAPOLIS -- An Indianapolis police officer charged with seven felonies in a fatal crash in which prosecutors said he was intoxicated had nothing to say as he walked resolutely into court for an initial hearing Thursday.

Officer David Bisard, a nine-year veteran of the department, was on duty when he plowed into a group of motorcyclists stopped at a red light Friday, killing Eric Wells, 30, and injuring Kurt Weekly, 44, and Mary Mills, 47.

According to the probable cause affidavit, Bisard was driving between 65 mph and 70 mph in a 40 mph zone when he struck the bikes, and he was intoxicated, registering a 0.19 blood-alcohol level.

Ciesielski defended the department's handling of the investigation, specifically the decision to administer a blood draw of Bisard instead of a Breathalyzer test at the scene.

"There's a process that has to be done for these types of accidents, especially when there's a fatal accident involved. The process is you draw blood rather than take a breath test, because it is more accurate," he said. "If it's just a DUI arrest or just a traffic stop, the Breathalyzer machine is an accurate machine … but for these types of cases that you can be criminally charged because of a death, we want the blood test." SNIP Bill Owensby, president of the Fraternal Order of Police, said he and other officers are puzzled about how Bisard's blood-alcohol level was more than two times the legal limit as he was on duty at 11 a.m.

"I certainly don't know what goes on behind closed doors, but I can tell you that I've talked to many officers that ... worked with him, that were close to him, and no one has ever seen any sign of needing intervention," Owensby said.

[BraveMan]

An interesting compliment to yesterday’s thread . . .

[Teacher317]

Even more interesting, he'd been given awards by MADD for busting DUI's so well while on the job.

MADD, by the way, asked that he be treated no differently than any other DUI, despite their previous support. (And good for them!)

[martin_fierro]

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[PAR35]

The process is you draw blood rather than take a breath test, because it is more accurate," he said. "If it's just a DUI arrest or just a traffic stop, the Breathalyzer machine is an accurate machine … but for these types of cases that you can be criminally charged because of a death, we want the blood test."

Translation:

'Breath test is fine for ordinary folks, but when it's one of us, we require real evidence.'

[archy]

Not one of his union brothers came in contact with Bisard during his watch? I doubt it.

Bisard was a Metro K9 Patrol officer, meaning he was outside the usual IPD supervisory chain-of-command, available to respond anywhere in the Indy metro area. accordingly he missed out on the usual roll calls and supervisory contact.

I expect you'll see a change in that procedure.