OFF THE WIRE
Indianapolis
The city of Indianapolis has agreed to pay $2.3 million to
two victims who were seriously injured in a crash involving Officer David
Bisard.
The attorneys for Kurt Weekly and Mary Mills signed off on the
deal Thursday. The settlement will end all litigation against the city following
the 2010 fatal crash.
Weekly will receive $1.35 million while Mills will
receive $975,000. As a part of the settlment, the city and Bisard did not admit
any wrongdoing.
"We are pleased to have reached this agreement to help
the victims, their families and our community begin to put this terrible tragedy
behind us," said Marc Lotter, Spokesman for Mayor Greg Ballard.
The city
also recently settled a $1.55 million lawsuit with Wells' widow, Luisa Wells.
The settlements do not affect the criminal case against Bisard. Bisard
is accused of being drunk when his squad car plowed into a group of
motorcyclists in August 2010, killing Eric Wells and injuring both Weekly and
Mills.
Charges against Bisard include operating a vehicle while
intoxicated and reckless homicide.
Controversy has surrounded the Bisard
case since the beginning. Defense attorneys have argued the blood draw taken
after the crash shouldn’t be used as evidence on a technicality, arguing that
the medical assistant who took the sample didn’t follow proper procedures. They
also said the draw should have been taken at a hospital instead of a
clinic.
Back in September, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled the blood
evidence is admissible. Last week, Bisard's attorneys petitioned the Indiana
Supreme Court to overturn that decision.
