KWPD Investigation of Deputy Zuelch Released....Nothing to see here folks...move along.
- Naked Conch - Posted by Matt Gardi - October 24, 2012UPDATE 10/25/12: - KWPD releases additional documents. To be quite clear I asked for "any reports" and Alyson Crean provided to me what she termed the "final report." She now has released additional information. Unfortunately, what she released contained some items that I know should have been redacted, and in an abundance of caution I will not provide them here. However, for further detail and discussion of what was additionally released please see here.
After taking the full 60 day maximum time allotted to complete a very detailed (Two paragraph narrative) investigation, KWPD released the "final" report of the unfortunate accident in which Deputy Zuelch was involved in back in August. (When she struck a pedestrian with her patrol car in Key West.)
I want to stress that I am VERY pro law enforcement. But when the public is given the impression that there is any preferential treatment given to a law enforcement officer, the reputation of ALL law enforcement is diminished and compromised. For that reason alone, law enforcement officers should be held to at least the same standard you or I would be. This is not a "circle the wagons" event, this is a "do above the right thing" event. Do I think Deputy Zuelch was DUI? No. But can we be sure? No, only because of the way this was handled. There is no reason for the public to have any doubt about whether she was DUI or distracted by texting, but unfortunately...we are unsure.
How comprehensive is this investigation?
No request for a toxicology test from Zuelch.
No witness statements included.
No statement from Zuelch.
No review of cell phone records. (Although Zuelch's phone was taken into evidence.)
No explanation of why Zuelch was distracted enough to strike a pedestrian in the center of the road.
No charges, or citations for Zuelch.
...and of course MCSO admin did not request a toxicology test as their policy allows.
(Note: Remember it is not unheard of that MCSO staff have operated vehicles under the influence while on duty. Remember also that only ONE Sheriff's candidate will make tox tests mandatory, and that is Tom Peteck.)
But in terms of the victim....the report is critical of the person who has no capacity to respond....
The Victim had the "odor of alcohol."
The Victim was "not crossing in a crosswalk." (However, according to the diagram he was somehow on Zuelch's car hood in a crosswalk and was carried entirely through a crosswalk during the course of the accident.)
The only reference to laws being broken was in regards to the victim stepping into traffic.
No charges were issued against the victim "due to his condition," of being unconscious and unresponsive on life support at Ryder Trauma center. (Sources tell me the victim has passed, but that has not yet been confirmed, nor mentioned in KWPD's report.)
Is this the way KWPD truly conducts critical investigations? Are they trained this way? I highly doubt it. So why stretch out an investigation of an MCSO deputy that resulted in such a simplified report? Why?
Really did you think they would do anything? It's an election year last thing Ramsay/MCSO wants is to have one of their officers responsible for a traffic accident that makes them look bad. Deputy Zuelch should have been tested for impairment to alleviate the suspicion of wrong doing. This is just another example of failed leadership at MCSO.
ReplyDeleteYou can check out how the officers really feel about their leadership or lack there of at http://forums.leoaffairs.com/viewforum.php?f=66