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More Bad News in the Bisard Case

Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard, Public Safety Director Frank Straub and newly appointed acting IMPD Police Chief Rick Hite went before the media this afternoon to tell the public that the second vial of blood in the David Bisard drunk driving case had been mishandled and several IMPD staff were being put on administrative leave and current chief Paul Ciesielski was stepping down from his position.

According to city officials, the second vial of Bisard blood was improperly transferred from the property room to long term storage with several other vials of blood.   The Mayor and Public Safety would not say whether it was done accidentally or with malicious intent.  However they did say the transfer may have compromised the investigation.  Several staff members, including IMPD Deputy Chief Val Cunningham have been placed administrative leave with pay pending the investigation.   Chief Ciesielski turned in his resignation as Chief and the Hite was appointed to take his place.

The Mayor called it an embarrassment for the city and says he is calling the FBI to help investigate.  Straub says the screw up once again underlined the need to continue the department reforms.  However, Bill Owensby, the head of the Fraternal order of Police which has been at odds with Straub say the public safety director should have also turned in his resignation as well.

As to the impact on the Bisard case, the Marion County prosecutor’s office issued a statement this afternoon saying,

“We are currently working with an independent lab to clarify the implications of testing the blood from the second vial, and do not yet know if or how the blood was affected.  We do not know the events that transpired causing Officer Bisard’s blood to be moved while in IMPD’s custody, and we are exceedingly concerned that it occurred.  I met with the victims and victims’ families this morning at 11a.m. to inform them.

At this time, we do not believe these developments will negatively impact the prosecution of this case.  Regardless of these developments, this office is continuing to move forward with the prosecution against Officer Bisard.”

You can hear the entire news conference below, as well as subsequent comments from FOP President Bill Owensby.

Leon-Tailored Interview: IMPD Bisard News Conference – 1 (15 min)

Leon-Tailored Interview: IMPD Bisard News Conference – 2  (15 min)

Leon-Tailored Interview: FOP President Bill Owensby on Bisard Vial (7 min)

Bisard was accused of drunk driving while on duty in August 2010 resulting in a fatality however IMPD did not take him to the proper medical facility for a blood draw so the evidence was not allowed.

 

Posted: 04|17|12 at 4:06 pm by Abdul Hakim-Shabazz
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  • Think Again

    You’re the lawyer here, Abdul: isn’t tainted evidence almost tnatamount to a defense victory?  On the charges which are affected by alcohol, anyway.

    I have always respected the Chief.  We need to know more about this, howeve.r

    And if the Chief fell on the sword because he was ‘in command,” as opposed to personally moving the vials…Straub should go, too.

    A very sad chapter in IMPD history just got moreso.  Nobody wins.

    And if the vials were mopved purposely to taint the investigation, that’s a felony–tampering with felony tgrial evidence.

    What a mess.

    All casued by an officer who was over-zealous in the performance of his duties, amped-up on on life or alcohol or both, who hit some civilians whilst driving carelessly. This won’t get any better.

      

  • Pascal

    Pascal does not know if Officer Bisard had been over drinking and neither does anyone else.  And, they never did.

  • Indy4U2C

    Frank Straub needs to go! 

  • Ramon

    Abdul, you just have to keep defending your favorite mayor and his police department.  When the rest of the city gets it,  you will still be there carrying water for Ballard.

  • Uatu

    “The Mayor called it an embarrassment for the city and says he is calling the FBI to help investigate.  Straub says the screw up once again underlined the need to continue the department reforms. ”

    Really, Abdul?

    I watch everything..and I mean EVERYTHING.   One thing I have seen here is the Mayor appoint Frank Straub who appointed Csicielski and also Valerie Cunningham. It was Those officials whose performance was embarrassingly incompetant.  But,yet it is the PD that needs reformed?  and not the bungling elected and appointed officials who misplaced their confidence in appointing the bunglers? 

    The only other thing embarrassing besides the incompetency displayed vis a vis the 2nd sample is the ass-covering of the Mayor re. his appointee.

    I also look forward to seeing if the “interim chief” meets the IC requirements for that  position..oh, and yeah..the Council and Sherriff’s approval, as per municipal code..or else Hite is illegally in charge of the PD.     Just Sayin.
    (Damn those pesky laws)

  • Indy4U2C

    Uatu had me wondering, so I looked.  Hite CANNOT be appointed Chief of Police because it requires the approvals above and compliance with State Law IC 36-8-4-6.5  Police chiefs or deputy police chiefs; requirements

  • Abdul

     How is this blog post carrying the water?  Show me one other news source in town that literally gave you everything that was said by the Mayor, Public Safety Director and head of the FOP unfiltered?  Shouldn’t I have cut and pasted the interviews and not included Bill Owensby?

  • Abdul

     Where is the violation?

  • Scooter

    Well, the ‘fix’ is in.

    IMPD is as bad as Detroit PD & Chicago PD.

    There’s nothing left to say except Straub needs to get run out of town on a rail.
     

  • Indy4U2C

    He lacks the required approvals and compliance with state law.

  • Nick

    Remember that Ballard picked an outsider as Public Safety Director because IPD and the Sheriff can’t play nice together and some untidy behaviors were being covered up at the highest levels of both agencies.

  • Scooter

     ”All casued by an officer who was over-zealous in the performance of his duties, amped-up on on life or alcohol or both…”

    Yep.  Caused by an officer who put his Noblesville PD car into the Firestone store on 10th St in Noblesville… a 20MPH zone, and lets not forget the shooting Bisard was involved in.  Another ‘whoopsie!’ ?

    Who is Bisard?  How does he have so many people on his ‘side’?  This whole thing stinks like yesterday’s fish. Makes one wonder who has what.

    If IMPD & the Mayor want the folks of Central Indiana to have faith in IMPD, they just blew it with this demonstration of either incompetence or criminal act.

    Straub needs to go.  His leadership ability is in question already, and now the integrity of the 12th largest city in the US’s PD is doubtful.

    The Mayor needs to grow a pair, or he’s a lame duck that will have jokes made about him for years.  His legacy will be; “The Mayor who let the PD run amok and permitted the unpunished death and critical injuries of citizens enjoying a sunny day.”

    Nice choice, Ballard.  You just lost one million people having trust in your PD.  Pop the cork on that bottle.

  • Abdul

     Not necessarily.  I did some checking on this.  He is not the acting chief, he is acting as chief.  And he can get the position once his MD credentials, where he was an officer, are transferred here.

  • Think Again

    Noblesville PD?  I don’t follow….

  • Think Again

    Uh, yeah they do….”over drinking”?  He was on duty.  ANY drinking would be inappropriate.

  • Think Again

    Ramon’s post is fair.

    Your past parroting of Straub-Ballard ill-will does not sit well with some.  That’s just something you’re going to have to swallow.  You’re certainly entitled to your views.  You are or were on Straub’s self-annointed “Advisory Council,” for God’s sake.  Why you ever said “yes’ to that assignment, and thought you could maintain impartiality, is beyond me.

    This isn’t about whether you are or aren’t in the can for Ballard, Straub or anyone else.  It’s about an (evidently?) poorly-run chain-of-custody that defies Police Academy First Day training standards.

    Don’t be surprised when it raises concerns.  It sure as hell should.  There’s a lot on the line.  Is this routine, or just selective evidence handling?  

    There will be plenty of time later to dissect who-supported-whom and when.  Now, I’d like to be able to depend on my police department to run garden-variety investigations with a modicum of professionalism.

    And, again–if there is any hint that the chain was broken to protect someone, that’s a criminal act.  Stupid or careless acts are just that.  The direct corruption of evidence is a felony.

  • Think Again

    I don’t remember that.

    The IMPD-Sheriff friction was minimal.  Still is.

    I thought the Straub selection was to clean up IMPD procedures.  I heard Ballard say that at a “Mayor’s Day Out” a couple of years ago. 

    He was quite clear.  The gasps in the audience were loud, and he repeated it, as if he thought we were all too stupid to hear it for the first time, with that all-too-familiar Ballard swagger.

  • Indy4U2C

    Touche.

    But the only MD credentials readily found were: 

    Hite serving as President of the Baltimore Vanguard Justice Society,  an organization that serves as an advocate to improving the working conditions of the Baltimore’s Minority police officers….NOT all police officers.  (Does that mean preferential treatment?)

    Nothing documenting leadership, investigation, training, management, or police work.

    It seems he was a high paid coach and PR figure for police, who was also a member of a race-based organization. 

    Please share any credentials that qualify him for a position in Indianapolis law enforcement.

  • Scooter

     Bisard has a ‘history’…..

  • Turk182

     Hite is not a sworn officer!

  • Turk182

     Bisard was a former Noblesville Police Officer, prior to becoming an IMPD Officer!

  • Turk182

    Except for Nick and Abdul, this is the first time I saw agreement with the regular posters, maybe we all believe in truth, justice, and the American way!
    So with that said, if we all agree, you darn betcha the pubic thinks like us!
    What does that say for the Mayor and his crew?
    Damage control in my opinion is to have Straub to leave too, if Ballard is to survive! Not just put in some stuffed shirt to run IMPD.
     

  • Think Again

    Well, I’m waiting…truly didn’t know….he was a Noblesville officer prior?

  • Nick

     You don’t remember the IPD/Sheriff friction? 

    You don’t remember Straub’s predecessor, Scott Newman issues?

    Here is a refresher:

    Why Scott Newman Wishes Carl Brizzi Would Go Away

    http://advanceindiana.blogspot.com/2010/04/why-scott-newman-wishes-carl-brizzi.html

    Omnisource And Their Dirty Cops Get Pass In Stolen Scrap Metal Scheme

    http://advanceindiana.blogspot.com/2010/04/omnisource-and-their-dirty-cops-get.html

    Plowman Conviction Didn’t Send Strong Enough Message

    http://advanceindiana.blogspot.com/2011/12/plowman-conviction-didnt-send-strong.html

    Sheriff tussles with IPD on Pea Shake Houses

    http://advanceindiana.blogspot.com/2007/02/police-report-altered-to-remove.html

  • Sid Cummings

    But Abdul, you have to know that by Ballard digging in and keeping Straub he is committing political suicide. As for Straub, how can the man go to work every day knowing that the entire city of Indianapolis hats him.

    Straub an his east coast Gestapo must go.

  • Think Again

    Ya know, Sid, I don’t like anything this mayor does.  But honestly, it’s hardly political suicide.  He’s five months out from a re-election.  He’s got no down-side to doing stupid things.

    If so, he’d jettison that stupid damned Broad Ripple sweetheart garage.

    Nope.  No down side at all.  Dammit.

  • Think Again

    Nah.  Doesn’t hold water.  Nothing above is recent enough nor was it strong enough to make your point.

    The merger went through.  It was good for taxpayers…and it should be good for law enforcement.  

    The Mayor is in charge.  

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/KNTNTMEYM6P7LN53ZOLQO34BNI Mike

    What a mess. After taking the night and listening to everything put out there, I have to echo the feelings of most of the posts in this thread. I thought Straub was appointed as an outside choice to clean up the “good ole boy” mentality that had been so previlant in IPDs promotion and hiring practices. Yet Straub has done nothing but replay that record with bringing in 5 of his friends from out of state, and now one of them is the acting chief. Same record, different phonograph! With any luck, the requirements of the law will make that a short lived tenure.

    Next we have chief Paul falling on his sword over the mishandling of this second vial of blood. This guy has never been allowed to lead the dept in any way, shape or form since his appointment to the position. Personally, I feel he stepped down because he was tired of the all the bullsh*t and constantly being made the scapegoat each time something went wrong with a dept. that he was placed in a figurehead position over…

    Which brings me to my last point, again going back to Frank Straub. Listening to all of his self serving remarks and the number of times he used “my” and “I” in his remarks when referring to everything “He” is accomplishing or trying to accomplish, led me to one conclusion. Frank likes to toot his own horn when things are going well for the dept, or there is someting to be proud of, but lets (makes) others take the fall when something goes wrong. You can’t have it both ways Frank!! You’re either running this dept., overseeing it’s daily operations and therefore responsible, or you’re not. Stop playing both sides of the fence and just leave already!!

    The fallout continues, and until Mayor marine starts acting like one, it will continue to give this city’s law enforcement officers a black eye in the view of the public…despite the outstanding number of good or great officers withing IMPD’s ranks.

  • Think Again

    As noted above; would someone please explain to me, NOT a Ballard supporter, how this mayor fails to survive if he keeps Straub?  He’s 45 months out from a re-election campaign, if he runs again.  

    In this city, that’s about eight political lives.

    And as much as I hate to admit it, he’s capable of spinning like a top.  

    Here’s a politcal strategy which could make perfect sense for the 25th floor; push Straub wayyyyyy out there.  Make him own every single damned IMPD change.  If it works, fine.  You can claim credit.  If it explodes, you can always resort to the east-coast arrogance argument.

    Because although a lot of us respect law enforcement, and many of ius have LEO friends, one thing is pretty much agreed by the vast majority: IMPD has been screwed up, in one way or another, for a couple of decades.  

    I don’t think it’s the line officers.  I prefer to think it’s leadership.  But even if I’m wrong, it doesn’t make a difference.  Incompetence is unforgivable.  THIS kind of failure, losing or mis-handling evidence, is Barney-Fife-like.

    It cannot stand. 

    We’d better hope it was a stupid mistake.  If it was done purposely, the scandal will rock IMPD.

  • Pascal

    Uh, prove it!

  • Think Again

    Well, there’s the problem now, isn’t it?  Convenient, or screwup?  

    As for his sobirety, given the manner he was driving, if he wasn’t drunk he was negligent.

    But we may not get the chance to officially prove he’d bene drinking.  

  • Uatu

    For once, while Watching everything, including opinions, I agree with you, Think Again.

    I have Seen that there are 2 police departments.  One is composed of line officers and line supervisors (primarily Sergeants, but an occasional good Lieutenant or two).  These officers bust their collective keisters in order to provide as good and professional service as possible given ever increasingly limited (oxymoron, but true) resources.  They are too busy and of good moral character to ever engage in corruptive acts.   While there are the occasional isolated bad apples, I submit to you that ever since Adam and Eve, if more than one person is engaged in a group, there will be at least one screw-up.  Those do need to be investigated, counseled, disciplined, and terminated if need be.  They are, and have been, and always will be.

    There is another police department.  Suffice it to say for brevities sake that they dont include the criteria established above, and as far as the “Leadership” aspect of those individuals, is like comparing ‘Sergeant Rock’  to ‘Sergeant Snorkle’ of Beetle Bailey fame.  ‘Nuff said.

  • Soylent Green

    Sorry folks.  Not nothing to be seen here.  Just a clerical error…a very UNFORTUNATE one but just an error by an under-paid civilian employee in the property room.  The sky is NOT falling.  No coruption.  No cover-up. Let the prosecutor and the judge make determination on whether this evidence has been compromised. Please move along. 

  • Scooter

    Yep.

  • Scooter

    “… clerical error…”

    As some would like the public believe.

    Ain’t working pal. Ain’t working at all.

  • M Theory

    Abdul?  If this was done by Eugene White wouldn’t you be writing an entire post on why he needs to be sent out of town on a rail? 

    What gives?  Why are you so silent on Ballard’s boy Straub, but so vocal on guys like White? 

  • Think Again

    So let me get this straight–he had “trouble” at Noblesville, and IMPD hired him anyway?

    If so, there are definitely administrative problems at IMPD, and they’re deep.

      

  • Think Again

    It’s a blind spot.  Among Abdul’s many good qualities, his blind spots are legend. We all have filters.

    He still asks a lot of questions that nobody else in this town will ask.

    But the blind spots, well….we just learn to deal witih them.  He’s human, too.

  • Think Again

    I just wonder why the first Dept. you listed above doesn’t rise up and smack-down the other department.  The Bissards of the world are creeps, and in the private sector, most of the time, they’re shuffled around to new jobs or shuffled off to Buffalo.

    I didn’t used to believe that Dept. Two existed.  Now, I’ve sene credible evidence that it likely exists.

    It makes me sad for Dept. One.

    And for us.

  • Nick

    Jack Cottey wants to hold press conference taking issue with Straub allegations of IMPD corruption over past 50 years?

    Does he really want to go there?

  • http://twitter.com/IndyStudent Matthew Stone

    I actually disagree on both fronts, TA and Sid.

    While I do believe the problems in DPS are real, and many of them are due to Straub (or if not directly his fault, are exacerbated because of him), it is really hard to turn that into a winning political issue. Yes, cops are traditionally a solid R vote, and yes, them sitting down and not voting can affect an election. But the unfortunate truth is…most people don’t pay attention to politics. The very small percentage of “independents” and undecideds are people who still vote but only have a passing knowledge of politics.

    And that BR garage deal is rotten to the core. But the BRVA pushed it early on, and if you talk to people, they think they’re practically getting a parking garage for free as if the money for it fell from a sky. They love it.

    The real dirt is in the details, and its hard to turn thsi type of dirt into a winning issue unless you can boil it down to a quick soundbite or can massively educate voters (which never happens)

  • http://twitter.com/IndyStudent Matthew Stone

    Merger was certainly the right decision. But I vaguely remember the Peterson administration quoting a very high (10s of millions?) of dollars in savings that the merger would produce. And I don’t think that has happened.

    Consolidation can be good, but we’ve been consolidating everything in Marion County for the last 50 years and the overall $$ savings has been minimal, if any. Services might’ve been improved, and I’m sure it is easy for the consolidated agencies to share info and stuff like that. But let’s stop pretending that it is going to be saving us some bucks, because it hasn’t.

  • Pascal

    The skid marks are still to be seen. They begin, in my view, long before a drunk would have hit the brakes.

  • Scooter

     Bisard left NPD , reasons undisclosed…. but that NPD car across 15′ of sidewalk and ‘kissing’ the Firestone Tire Store on 10th & Clinton in Noblesville was a sight.

    That knowledge was published in local paper(s).

    IMPD has some pretty sever personnel  problems, along with the assistance in those ‘problems’ from the FOP. 

    Didn’t an IMPD officer just get nailed for drunkenly passing out in a fast food drive thru…. the same officer who banged-up a squad car & tried to hide the accident because he was drinking then???

    FOP is gonna champion these misbehaviors, Owensby needs to share in this ‘blame-game’.

  • Scooter

     Your average sober driver would not be doing 70+ in a 45 while banging on a laptop… and don’t give me that ‘trained driver’ crap. 

    Having worked for the Government, E&E/Pursuit class at the old Norton AFB was a blast!), and also living in Germany (Autobahn!), if IMPD’s officers are that freakin’ good, those good ol boys better be worried about a fresh crop of hot dog drivers ready to take their rides from them.

  • Sid

    The BRVA did not push that location.They also wanted the location behind the Vogue.That location was chosen because of the fact that the owner of Keystone construction’s friend owns the property. It was an inside deal with Ryan Vaugyn making a ton of money off of the deal.

    As for Straub, he the man is a low life.I want him to go to each home of each one of the victims and explain why this is happening.the press conference today held by the family was sad.They said that NO ONE from the city has even said we are sorry.

    Ballard owes this city an apology for ever hiring this man. This will go down as Ballards Legacy..and its not a good one. ALL of the good things that he has done as Mayor will now and forever be secondary to his destroying the IMPD.

    The Mayor lied to us when he said he would turn IMPD around.

    This is Ballards legacy

  • Rico

    Maybe it’s the name.

  • Me

    Abdul,
    Just think this story could have been yours, if you were not protecting Straub!  I tried to tell you a week ago to start a series of reports on Straub’s mismanagement.  This is the biggest thing for Indy police since the 70′s FBI investigation into corruption.  Now Straub has had a chance to put his flunkies on the altar instead of him owning up to his own incompetence.  Abdul, I hate to be an “I told you so”, but I TOLD YOU SO!

  • Hmmm

    I dont believe in coincidences, however..is it not coincidental that this screw-up was found the day Before the hearing on whether to keep this man?   Who is to say that it was not in fact engineered either by this man or someone in his employee?

    I welcome the FBI’s investigation.

  • Me

    That is exactly what I was thinking when I heard this whole thing.

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