Posted on 05/04/2006 1:54:08 PM PDT by The Old Hoosier
Thursday, May 4; 4:16 pm
By John McArdle,
Roll Call Staff
Police labor union officials asked acting Chief Christopher McGaffin this afternoon to allow a Capitol Police officer to complete his investigation into an early-morning car crash involving Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.).
According to a letter sent by Officer Greg Baird, acting chairman of the USCP FOP, the wreck took place at approximately 2:45 a.m. Thursday when Kennedy’s car, operating with its running lights turned off, narrowly missed colliding with a Capitol Police cruiser and smashed into a security barricade at First and C streets Southeast.
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| Rep. Patrick Kennedy |
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“The driver exited the vehicle and he was observed to be staggering,” Baird’s letter states. Officers approached the driver, who “declared to them he was a Congressman and was late to a vote. The House had adjourned nearly three hours before this incident. It was Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy from Rhode Island.”
Baird wrote that Capitol Police Patrol Division units, who are trained in driving under the influence cases, were not allowed to perform basic field sobriety tests on the Congressman. Instead, two sergeants, who also responded to the accident, proceeded to confer with the Capitol Police watch commander on duty and then “ordered all of the Patrol Division Units to leave the scene and that they were taking over.”
Baird said he had been advised that after the officers departed, Capitol Police “House Division officials” gave Kennedy a ride home.
Kennedy’s office did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
“If the events unfolded as they have been reported to me, and I believe they did, a complete and immediate investigation into them is required,” Baird wrote to McGaffin. Baird asked the acting chief why officers on the scene were prevented from completing the appropriate investigation “into violations of law they witnessed. This appears to be interference with their duties as U.S. Capitol Police Officers and may have prevented the collection of evidence of such violations."
“My members were attempting to carry out their duties with the professionalism and objectivity their oaths require. They should have been assisted in those duties by every level of supervision and command. Instead these circumstances call the integrity of our organization into question by creating the appearance of special favor for someone who is perceived to be privileged and powerful,” Baird wrote.
While a Capitol Police spokeswoman could not be reached for comment, Baird said in an interview this afternoon that McGaffin had contacted him about his letter.
“I want the public and those who we protect to know that we are fair and impartial when it comes to enforcing the laws on capitol grounds and the officers are doing their jobs in accordance to the laws and D.C. code and U.S. code,” he said.” That’s really why we want this addressed.”
Nah.
He'll get away with it because members of the Capitol Police are "Congressional Employees" Which means any "Member of Congress" is their boss.
U.S. Code
TITLE 5 —GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION AND EMPLOYEES
PART III —EMPLOYEES
Subpart A —General Provisions
CHAPTER 21 —DEFINITIONS
§ 2107. Congressional employee
For the purpose of this title, “Congressional employee” means—
(1) an employee of either House of Congress, of a committee of either House, or of a joint committee of the two Houses;
(2) an elected officer of either House who is not a Member of Congress;
(3) the Legislative Counsel of either House and an employee of his office;
(4) a member of the Capitol Police;
(5) an employee of a Member of Congress if the pay of the employee is paid by the Secretary of the Senate or the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives;
[(6) Repealed. Pub. L. 90–83, § 1(5)(A), Sept. 11, 1967, 81 Stat. 196.]
(7) the Architect of the Capitol and an employee of the Architect of the Capitol;
(8) an employee of the Botanic Garden; and
(9) an employee of the Capitol Guide Service.
I have a hard time believing it would cause someone to not be aware that their lights were on and to crash their car. Also, I thought you were supposed to take your Ambien before you went to bed...not before you got in your car?
JUST DAMN you found on Google LOLOLOL!
That too harsh for Three Stooges fan LOL!
LOL! Nice!
I do not know.
The Park Police are the Junior Varsity, so I would guess that do not have cameras.
Anyway, the higher ups would get the tapes and hard drives removed to destroy any evidence.
Please see Post 77.
The ( Joe Kennedy ) drug dealer's boat was called the Rum Runner.
Thanks. The fact that you are willing to acknowledge your misunderstanding speaks well of you. :)
Right. Both drunken lecherous fatheaded pigeyed creeps.
To equate Patrick Kennedy (or any Kennedy, for that matter) as "just another bunch of shanty Irish" requires an immediate and sincere apology to the shanty Irish of the universe.
To equate Patrick Kennedy (or any Kennedy, for that matter) as "just another bunch of shanty Irish" requires an immediate and sincere apology to the shanty Irish of the universe.
He probably gets away with saying the "F.O.P." and the cops think it's owned by the Fraternal Order of Police--it *is* a police car lookalike.
It happened to me - a person came up to a green light, driving in the opposite direction from which I was driving - and she just kept on driving and turning left directly into the path of my car, as if I wasn't there at all. She never stopped, never even slowed down for the turn. I hit my brakes, but it was too late. Kaboom.
He's trying to replace Delay as "The Hammer(ed)".
Yes, late for a vote in the session that had adjourned three hours earlier. I guess he was technically correct in saying that he was late for a vote.
Yes, it should be one of those deathless statements immortalized by 'Saturday Night Live'.
Maybe I missed it earlier in the thread, but what's he doing driving if he's on "hallucinogens"? Obviously he didn't follow the warning labels on the bottle of "hallucinogens."
"Like uncle...Like nephew!"
I thought he was the son of King Ted, not his nephew.
He was drinking at the Hawk & Dove, too. Alcohol and drugs, it seems.
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