Last week prosecutor’s dropped drunk driving charges against Indianapolis police officer David Bisard, because the officer’s blood test wasn’t properly obtained. Officer Bisard stands accused in the fatal crash that killed one and injured two other people, when his police cruiser crashed into two motorcycles stopped at a light.
The Marion County Prosecutor, Carl Brizzi, said the blood test, which showed the officer over two times the legal limit for alcohol, would be inadmissible in court because it wasn’t taken in a hospital by someone certified to do so. Instead, the officer was taken to a clinic where police officers are often taken when they become injured on the job and his blood was drawn by a lab technician. State law requires alcohol-blood test to be administered by someone certified to do so to be admissible in court.
Officers at the scene of the accident did not give Bisard a breath test or field sobriety test and his blood was not drawn until two hours after the accident. Bisard has been suspended from the force without pay and still faces other felony reckless homicide charges.
The case has made top headlines in Indianapolis and the public outcry at the “suspected favoritism” shown to the officer has been great. The FBI has been called to review the handling of the case. The officers at the scene maintain that they followed proper procedures and protocol and did not treat Bisard any differently than they would any other citizen. My question to you this week is, “What do you think of the case? Do you think the officer was given “special” treatment, or do police just get a bad rap? Were the officers responding to the scene doing their job, or protecting one of their own?” Answers are due no later than Tuesday, August 31st, 2010. On a side note, I am really happy with last week's blog discussion and as a whole, your class has done a great job with the blog!
In my opinion I believe he got better treatment because he was a cop. He is a police officer and is supposed to set an example for civilians. He was driving around drunk in his car and killed someone, while injuring two others. If it were a regular person they would have been breathalized on the spot. They wouldnt have waited. I do understand the mistake of them taking him to the typical area when police are injured but they should have asked in this special situation. There should have never been a two hour gap between the incident and him being tested. I hope this officer gets charged with what he has done and that the FBI looks further into how the matter was treated.
ReplyDeleteWOW, this is unbeliavable. I absolutely believe that this officer received "special treatment". If this was just a random man/woman they would have followed the proper procedures.Just like Megan mentioned cops should be setting the example for everyone.
ReplyDeleteMoreover, there was way to much time between the field tests, blood tests, and everything else. This just looks embarrassing on behalf of the Indianapolis Police Department.
Here's an example of Carl Brizzi handy work in other cases:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.fox59.com/news/wxin-brizzi-rape-victim-040810,0,791000.story
Brizzi is on the spot right now, but he's slimy enough that if this story briefly falls off the front pages, he'll do whatever he can to sweep the entire situation under the rug. A fine example of the Republican party of Indianapolis doing their work to the best of their abilities.Obviously guilty officers are routinely protected to the point of absurdity.
As I understand, police officers are used in states of emergencies, maintaining order through surveillance of the public, and the apprehension of suspected violators of the law. Appointing someone the duty of setting examples for everyone else only points out the time you actually took to think of a response. Police officers, are humans, and aren't immune to stress and often deal with it in means of substance abuse.
The case is bogus the guy is guilty as charged and the fact that the other officers did what they did just goes to show that they look out for their own that's why police officers get bad raps is because of dumb things like this.
ReplyDeleteI do believe that he did get special treatment, one because with police its kinda you mess with one you mess with all and they are "brothers" and family so even if one is wrong they are going to stand behind them at least once. and 2 i dont think that if it was a regular person they would have waited 2 hours to give a test, and they would have made sure that it was given the proper way so that they could nail them to the wall. so yeah i think that he should be punished like every one else and test or no test he still killed 2 people and should sit in jail like every one else has to, because it was reckless and he messed up big time.
ReplyDeleteTo me, it most certainly sounds like he got special treatment. Sure, I think cops often get a worse rap than they deserve, but not in this case.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds to me that they officers at the scene definitely didn't follow protocol. Not giving him a breathalyze or field sobriety test at the scene proves that they didn't do what they should have done. If he would've been an ordinary citizen, I'm sure they would've given him a breathalyzer and field sobriety test.
Also, the fact that he didn't get a blood test until 2 hours later is also ridiculous. He should've been tested immediately in at least one way. Giving him 2 hours before any tests would have allowed more time for his blood-alcohol level to drop, which means they didn't even get an accurate reading.
Overall, this is just a ridiculous situation. I hope the FBI properly investigates this case and I hope Brizzi is punished to the extent he should be.
I feel like this whole case was dismissed ONLY because he was an officer. How often do we see this happen in movies and on TV shows? I personally think that the officer should man up and admit that he was in the wrong and pay for his crime. I think it's safe to say that if it was any other "average Joe" he'd have been convicted and in jail right now.
ReplyDeleteNo I don't feel like he got special treatment. He was simply doing his job and the blood taken was not even admissible in court. So I see nothing wrong with what he did. JUST KIDDING!!! Of course I feel like he got special treatment. As a police officer they know if they took him to a specific "minute clinic" to get his blood taken it would not be admissible in court. I have a friend who got picked up for peeing outside a bar in an alleyway, the minute he got picked up he went straight to jail and he blew .1. He just needed to pee and he was way under the officers limit who killed these people. This is clearly a case of protecting one of there own. I have even heard that they have now even gotten the FBI involved to get this taken care of. This was a BS case and all that happened to the 3 officers there is they got demoted!!! How about firing them? If they didn't take me to jail after being drunk and killing 1 and seriously injuring 2, I can bet they would lose their jobs!!! Then the actual cop who did cause all this gets charges dropped because the other 3 botched the blood drawing!!!??? BOGUS!!! This clearly a sign of favoritism all over it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everyone and think that this clearly shows favoritism towards police officers. It's a disappointment and a shame to know that even though someone is a cop who is supposed to be setting a bettr example than the normal everyday citizen, that they will receive special treatment when an extremely serious crime is involved.
ReplyDeleteForgive me before you read this because this story just makes me really mad. I feel that this case is absolute crap!! Of course he got special treatment. The man that he killed, Eric Wells, and the two others that he injured all work in the same place as my mom, she knows the woman who got hurt. And every day I drive past the place where Eric was killed and I see the stars they left for him when he died. Bisard drove drunk, got in his car and killed somebody....but he is still walking around free and clear looking like he doesn't even give a crap about it. Somebody screwed up big time because he was taken to the wrong place and nobody stopped it. Why drive with lights and sirens on a backup call of serving a misdemeanor warrant?? And the sad thing is the guy they were looking for got away. I don't if the officers necessarily protected one of their own but they sure as heck did a bad job at getting it done. Police are only getting a bad rap because they themselves are causing it. For example...a female officer got drunk and shot a hole in the bottom of her police cruiser, just recently a cop on a motorcycle did a stunt on the bridge in the same area that I live in (I go over the bridge every day), and now we are also hearing about this cop who crashed his car and got it secretly fixed and he has got two swat officers in trouble because of that. They only get a bad rap because they cause it themselves. You also have to worry about them when they pull you over nowadays because there have been multiple stories about cops sexually harrassing women after pulling them over. It just makes it way to hard to trust them anymore. I feel that Bisard should have his trial here in Indianapolis where he can face the families and friends of Eric Wells like a man rather than a coward like he is now. He doesn't deserve a fair trial in my opinion. I say we lock him up and throw away the key.
ReplyDeleteDon't apologize for your opinions Jessica. It makes them seem uncertain and voiceless.
ReplyDeleteI second Jessica's opinion of this event making it harder to trust the boys in blue.
I don't second him deserving an unfair trial though, obviously he should be found guilty through legal and just means.
I think cops's stupid..he need being fired!
ReplyDeleteI do think that cops take care of there own sometimes but I also think that cops catch a bad rap. If the officer was intoxicated he should be held accountable for his actions the same as if not more than a normal citizen because he knows the law. I think if he was drunk he should be fired and go to prison for killing that person and my money goes that he was drunk.
ReplyDeleteTyler - What?
ReplyDeleteI do think the officer was given special treatment, I mean any other citizen would have been given a breath test and a field sobriety test especially if that caused an accident that killed a person and injured two other people.
ReplyDeleteInitially I don't think that he was given special treatment, but rather that the responding officers made a poor decision when getting medical help for their fellow officer. From what I have seen, officers don't tend to look kindly on other officers who give their occupation a bad name. Of course, that all depends on what kind of people the responding officers are. But assuming that they're decent people, I wouldn't think that they would intentionally deny justice to the people whom the offending officer injured and killed.
ReplyDeleteThat cop must have a good defense team.... But at least he's still charged for a felony and reckless homicide charge. Also, it's not as if everyone doesn't know that the guy was driving drunk. Even without the legal backup, I think that some justice will be served... Eventually.
I think this whole case is a load of crap it is so wrong that he got off! YES i completely believe he that he got special treatment i use to know a cop and they do expesially for each other i remember him talking about being able to speed and it be ohk since he was a cop...its so wrong and i think that there should be a higher standered because what good is it for them to tell us this if they think there above the law! I deffently believe they were protecting there own its how it goes i mean for anything you protect your own and thats not to defend them its just the way it is!! The officers would have known that taking him anywhere but the hospital would mess up the blood and that it would not be able to be used in coart, this whole case makes me not feel very safe about our system that we have here what good are cops going to do if this is what is going on?!?!?
ReplyDeleteI believe that Bisard, in so many ways, made one bad decision after another. Because of his negligence, 3 other individuals are paying the consequence for his actions. Unfortunately, the city of Indianapolis is not thinking of those victims and doing what they need to do to put those consequences back on Bisard. I hope that the investigation by the FBI is thorough and truthful and that our faith in the system be restored. I'll continue to watch the case unfold.
ReplyDeleteLast week prosecutor’s dropped drunk driving charges against Indianapolis police officer David Bisard,which was a mistake. They should have been fired too for making that decision. I know for a fact that Officer Bisard got special treatment because he is one of the blue boys. I honestly think things like this happen all the time on the low, but Officer Bisard got caught. If this was anybody else those charges wouldn't have gotten dropped. It's not fair and the police have been getting away with a lot lately. I don't trust them.
ReplyDeleteAnother cop getting special treatment…big surprise. This guy killed someone who followed the law. The officers on the scene didn’t give him a breath test because they were probably trying to cover up the fact that he was intoxicated. If he wasn’t a cop this whole situation would have been handled properly. I think it’s disrespectful to the citizens of Indianapolis.
ReplyDeleteI think the whole situation is unfortunate! Bisard was absolutely given special treatment. I do know that all IMPD officers are scum but the cops that are getting away with murder, literally, are giving them a bad rep. The officers on scene were more focused on helping their own then they were with helping the victims. They knew what they were doing and decided to treat the situation as if it was no big deal. IMPD's main job is to catch the bad guy but when the bad guy turns out to be their own "brother" then they immediately stick together.
ReplyDeleteI think the whole thing is a messed up situation. They most likely gave him special treatment, but for a fact nobody knows. It is cops like these that give other cops a bad name. It is a shame to think that after he did these things he will be walking around free. He will have guilt and he will be treated badly in jail and outside of jail if he had to go.
ReplyDeleteYes they were protecting their own. I find it odd that someone who even two hours after being pulled over still was over twice the legal limit. If he was this intoxicated then he would have shown obvious symptoms at the time of the accident, at least enough to be field tested and breath tested by officers had he been a civilian. It is not uncommon for people of groups and organizations to protect their own. The media does it all the time, politicions do it. Think about the scandals in the catholic church. It is the nature of humans to help out those who are in need within their own percieved "family." Does this make it right? No. But it happens and that is why it is important to raise attention to incidents like this to bring justice when it does. The public is not very sympathetic to those in power who get out of trouble. That is why it is important in these cases for the guilty to just take what is coming to them and admit to being wrong. If they are truly part of their "family" then they would want to protect the reputations of those around them. Not being selfish and try to get off easy with their position.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think of the case? Do you think the officer was given “special” treatment, or do police just get a bad rap? Were the officers responding to the scene doing their job, or protecting one of their own?” I am very unhappy about this case! The officer was indeed given special treatment because if everything was done correctly, he would be locked up and no longer on the force. The officers who responded were just doing things to to save David Bisard and themselves. They all should lose their jobs because despite what anyone thinks, David WAS drunk and he killed and injured innocent people because of it. If we drive drunk and harm people, we are charged heavily. He should receive the same punishment.
ReplyDeleteThis case has gotten out of hand. The officer was obviously giving special treatment because he is a cop. It seems like our police force is pretty shady when anything happens to their own. If it was anybody else who was driving drunk and killing someone, they would have been test right there at the seen, then again at the hospital and definitely would not have stalled for two hours. These cops are bogus. They put a bad rap on the Indianapolis Police Department as well with the higher up of the police department who have recently been demoted. Goes to show what else has been going on that no one knows about.
ReplyDeleteWell I haven't really been following this in the news that much but i do know enough to point out some things. Who ever the officer was that took Bisard to the clinic instead of taking him to a hospital should have known better. If this is state law, ALL officers should about this. That's what makes me think that there was some favoritism involved. Since he was double the legal limit I don't see how they couldn't have known. I would have been falling over myself, and I wouldn't have even been moving anywhere.
ReplyDeleteI don't feel like he really received a great deal of special treatment.
ReplyDeleteIt is already a rule that any drug test has to be taken by a certified doctor to be usable in court. It's not as if they changed that rule just for him.
The blood was taken at a clinic, where policemen are taken when they are injured... although I do not know for sure if he was injured or not.
I do feel like, in this case, that special arrangements should have been made. It is apparently negligence on someone's part, to think that the tests would be valid. A certified doctor should have been brought in on such an occasion.
I wouldn't doubt that he may have received some kind of special treatment though. It is not uncommon, and I don't just say that because i've heard rumors.
-Craig Smith
Let's do a survey of DUI convicts who were actually taken to a hospital for bloodwork after their arrest.
ReplyDeleteWhat does it take for a cop to get fired?
Pathetic.
It does sound like there may have been some favoritism at the scene of the crime, as well as from the judge.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I'm not sure about this. I think it's pretty low that the cop himself isn't at least owning up to what he did. Killing someone shouldn't be a shoulder shrug.
Truthfully though, either way, people were killed and injured, alcohol or not....so I think the cop should recieve the same punishment as anyone else who commits vehicular manslaughter would face.
I believe it is very obvious that police receive special treatment. Clearly they protect each other when they shouldn't but that's just how the system works. Cops are no better than anyone else but they truly are above the law and it's wrong.
ReplyDeleteI do believe the officer was given special treatment. If that were any other civilian they would have been charged with much harsher crimes. Their breathe would have been taken at the scene of the crime and it would have stood up in court.
ReplyDeleteLate Entry
ReplyDeleteTristan
I think its another case of the great blue wall protecting its members. While I respect and admire most officers of the law there are too many times where they are privileged and protected by their badges.
I think it is often a case of "A few bad apples spoiling the barrel." Most cops are honest men and women who put their lives on the line for us citizens, but guys like David Bisard make them all look corrupt.
Whether or not they were protecting their fellow officer their mistake has left several families with a feeling of injustice.
Tom Whitesell
ReplyDeleteIt is so frustrating to me whenever i hear about a police officer that is given special treatment in regards to him breaking the law. Police officers should be held to the highest standard when it comes to the law and since it is their job to uphold the law, it should also be their job to obey the law. If this were a normal citizen, they would have done anything they could do to send him to jail if they thought he was drunk driving. I think that police get away with too much as it is and this is just another example of the system failing on itself because of police officers bad judgement.
i think that he did get special treatment, if it was someone that wasnt a cop they would have been tested on the spot. they would have been breathilized, blood drawn, and whatever else needed to be done to have them put away for it. also if he was on duty and hit them with alcohol in his system he should be put away, it doesnt matter if its over the limit or not. they are to lead by example and from what i see is its ok to drink and drive.
ReplyDeleteI think that the officer did get special treatment. In a accident of that nature with a civilian, the police would have more than likely done everything under the sun to check for intoxication levels. With the blood test practically being thrown out, and the fact that he was over 2 times the legal limit and not a single "trained" professional could detect it is just too far-fetched for me to believe.
ReplyDelete