Straub: IMPD commanders failed to act at fatal wreck

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http://www.indystar.com/article/20100825/NEWS02/8250394/Straub-IMPD-commanders-failed-to-act-at-fatal-wreck Straub: IMPD commanders failed to act at fatal wreck By John TuohyPosted: August 25, 2010 Comments (83) Recommend (3) E-mail Print A A The commanders at a fatal motorcycle accident blamed on an Indianapolis Metro police officer failed to call out two special units that are expert in life-and-death incidents, Public Safety Director Frank Straub said.
The four commanders, all since demoted, should have deployed both the Fatal Alcohol Crash Team and the Critical Incident Response Team, Straub said Tuesday. Instead, the commanders appear to have come to the scene of the accident at 56th Street and Brendon Way South Drive on Aug. 6 mostly to check on the condition of canine unit Patrol Officer David Bisard.
• INDY-AREA CRIME: Get a roundup of metro-area crime stories and latest court case developments. • IMPD COP IN HOT WATER: Read background on IMPD Officer David Bisard and his Northside fatal wreck.
"Not one person said, 'I'm in command','" Straub said. "They didn't assert themselves."
The FACT team is a multi-jurisdictional unit that investigates alcohol related traffic accidents. The CERT team responds to police shootings and other deadly uses of force.
Though some members of the FACT team were at the scene, their expertise was in crash reconstruction.
The highest-ranking commander at the scene could have taken control himself, Straub said. If he didn't he had an obligation to at least determine who was in charge and assess the situation.
The commanders also failed to realize the gravity of the situation and should have called Straub and Police Chief Paul Ciesielski to the scene, Straub said.
The demoted commanders are: second-in-command, Assistant Chief Darryl Pierce; Deputy Chief Ron Hicks; Homeland Security Commander John Conley; and Lt. George Crooks, commander of the hit-and-run unit and coordinator of FACT.
Straub announced Tuesday that East District Commander Chad Knecht will replace Hicks.
Motorcyclist Eric Wells, 30, died in the Aug. 6 accident at 56th Street and Brendon Way South Drive on the city's Northeastside. Two others, Mary Mills, 47, and Kurt Weekly, 44, remain hospitalized.
Police officials initially did not suspect Bisard was drunk, but a blood draw taken two hours after the crash showed he had a blood-alcohol content of 0.19, more than twice the level at which a driver is considered intoxicated in Indiana. However, prosecutors had to drop drunken-driving charges against Bisard because the blood draw was taken by a medical technician who lacked certification