October 8, 2010

Two Bristol police reports on crash say nothing about alcohol


Neither of the two reports prepared by Bristol police about an on-duty crash by former Police Officer Robert Mosback said anything about the possibility that Mosback had been drinking beforehand.
The initial accident report prepared by Sgt. Dennis Daigneault said only that Mosback received “some cuts to his hands” and that he “may have been briefly rendered unconscious” in the June 26, high-speed crash on Riverside Avenue.
Daigneault’s report, which quoted two witnesses and the officer who plowed into a pole, said that Mosback “was taken by ambulance to St. Francis Hospital in Hartford whereupon he was held overnight for observation.”
The report said nothing about which officers were on the scene or what any of them might have seen. It also did not mention firefighters who were also there.
Daigneault, whose report was finished shortly after the accident, issued a warning ticket to Mosback for speeding and making a restricted turn.
On July 19, Capt. Eric Osanitsch filed a second report that went over the same ground briefly and then reviewed department procedures and policies that Mosback may have violated.
Osanitsch, who said Thursday he could not comment because a gag order has been placed on all discussion of the case, reported the same facts with one exception.
His report said that Mosback was transported to Bristol Hospital, where he was held overnight and released the following morning. It is not clear which report is right.
Osanitsch found that Mosback violated two sections of the police code of conduct in failing to care properly for assigned equipment and for performing his duties “in a careless or negligent manner or in disregard of proscribed procedures or established practice.”
After the captain’s report, Police Chief John DiVenere ordered a four-day suspension for Mosback to be served in mid-September.
City leaders said the first time they learned Mosback had been drinking was on Sept. 22 when a medical claims examiner phoned to say the officer’s workers’ compensation claim would be denied.
A week later, after being placed on administrative leave, Mosback resigned.
I'll get copies of both reports, and more, on this blog later today.

*****
Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

There were more than two responding officers. That is not reflected in any report, either.

Steve Collins said...

If you know who they were, I'd love to get an email with their names.

Anonymous said...

Steve, keep up the good work!

Maybe a list of who was on duty would help narrow it down.

When was the chief notified?

When was the mayor notified?

When was Krawiecki notified?

Ben said...

Thanks Steve,
I guess we continue on here.
Thanks for the reports and the officers names.
It's time for the public to display their total outrage at the Bristol Police Department.
Somebody had stated there is a public meeting about the police department?
Their total disregard for our safety is in question here.
I am truly sorry for what is about to rain down on some people who thought they were protecting a buddy. Your bigger job was to protect us. I have no problem stating publicly, if you covered up a drunken officer, you should be fired.
I hope the citizens of this town will support me in this endeavor.

proof said...

Ben, before firing everyone up, how about letting the outside investigation be done to properly determine liability etc.?

Ben said...

If you are a police officer the public safety should come first.

Proof, we should be fired up. Do not underestimate public outrage. Don't peg me as being too extreme. You can have your invesigation. I thought the department already did an internal one? Didn't find too much in that one, did we? Thank God he was stupid enough to filed for workmen's comp. Guess what? Workmen's comp don't pay if your impaired.
Liability? or, another cover up?

I am however calling for the firing of anybody involve with the cover up. Suspension isn't enough. Time to set an example in this town.
How bout people supporting this effort?

You are hoping the investigation takes long enough so people lose sight of the ball? Then hopefully sweep it under the rug? You had your chance. Time to take some heads. It's time to take action.
The public needs show their outrage.
I am tired of the excuses. I have a right to be OUTRAGED. [b]I have a right to expect the police department will protect me from drunken, and corrupt cops.[/b] If you can't do this, then I must say we (the taxpayers) will find some one who will.

Anonymous said...

Whenever one of our employees is injured on the job, the safety officer or on duty supervisor accompanies them to an outside medical facility and top management is immediately notified. Investigations start immediately and can include random drug or alcohol testing.
I find it odd that a police officer can be injured in a car accident, hospitalized and no supervisor is listed as responding?
I was in a car accident 4 years ago (in Bristol) - there were four police cars, at least six officers besides the ambulance. I imagine no less for this.
Did any citizen film anything on their cell phone?
Looks like a cover-up is still going on.
Not happy, not happy.

Anonymous said...

heard the Chief put out a memo to the troops but not to the media because of a gag order by the mayor. Steve??

Anonymous said...

@3:35

The Supervisors did respond. Who do you think did the investigation? Rule #1: Read before spouting off. Rule #2: See rule #1...

naive said...

The guys career is ruined, no one was hurt and he's no longer on the police force.

Move on.

Anonymous said...

good work steve

keep taking names, numbers, dates and times

we want a mea culpa from all those who knew he was wasted but kept it from the people who PAY THEIR SALARIES

stretch

Anonymous said...

The CHIEF KNEW BUT HE WILL PASS THE BUCK AND BLAME OTHERS LIKE ALWAYS. THE CITY WILL LET HIM PULL ANOTHER FAST ONE BECAUSE HE HAS SOMETHING ON SOMEONE.

Anonymous said...

..no one knew he was drunk. Had anyone known, he would have been yanked aside and told to leave sick. Had that not happened, it would have gone to a supervisor, whereupon he would have been screwed right then and there. This was a shocker, no cover up folks. Wait for the State investigation...

Anonymous said...

Artie doesn't do anything, the PD supports him next election.

We know what they did to Michelle

G

Anonymous said...

Didn't we have one failed ex cop become mayor, and another person arrested for DUI become mayor?

Maybe there is hope for Mosback yet.

Only in Bristol

Anonymous said...

How can you have someone work for you for 10 years and not be aware that there is a problem?
Peopel do talk, it is a small town, and the PD is arelatively small but close group.

He should have had some idea!

Anonymous said...

Ben:
The supervisor (Sgt) on duty that night got there after Mosback was in the ambulance on the way to Hartford. Neither he nor the Chief saw him. That Sgt asked for the Accident Team to respond, and probably for monetary reasons, was refuted. The team would have had a report that included every single car, person, firetruck EMT that responded etc...

So, instead, you get a standard accident report. This doesn't list all of the above, it just says the basics, that Mosback was found to be speeding, wrecked the car etc.

This in turn is reviewed by the Captain, who finds Mosback guilty of whatever he was found guilty of, and got 4 days off, which cost him far more that an infraction ticket for speeding.

From what I have heard, I really do not support the cover up notion. I think the ball was dropped by them not getting their accident team to respond.

I hope that this, in much more detail, is what the State Investigation unearths

Anonymous said...

7:16 AM: Well aren't we just holier than thou!

Lots of really good people have made mistakes in the past. You think maybe none of them should ever run for mayor? Or do you just want to pick and choose the handful that you don't like?

What a stupid comment.

Ben said...

5:55
A nice explanation. It will be investigated. Will the truth come out? How do you pop .15 and nobody notices? How are you going to get the public to buy it?
Sorry, from our perspective, something seems fishy.
I wasn't blaming the whole BPD.
If you guys are going to pull the wagons in a circle, and act outaged at our outrage, then maybe the whole department needs an overhaul.

Anonymous said...

Ben:
The PD is outraged, and embarrassed. Just like on here, a few people can make some REALLY out of line comments, but they do not represent the average articulate poster.

It's believed that he was a hard drinker, and could hide the smell of alcohol, and could walk the walk and talk the talk .

Again, it's a hard sell, but I believe it to be true. I hope the state puts together a good explanation.

Ben said...

I am just wondering if we would be treated the same way if we were in a roadside stop? How can professionals miss someone who is double the limit? The guy is bleeding and more than double the limit, but nobody saw anything, detect anything, smelled anything? Yea right!
Bascially put yourself in our shoes, you buy it? Of course not!
You say wait for the investigation. We already waited for one, why was the investigation done so pooprly? How did they miss the intoxication? Now we wait for another investigation from the same "police club". How bout the FBI this time?
Now you are trying to say prove it.
Even if we can't prove somebody tried to cover up this mess, and you use incompetence as an excuse, changes need to be made.
Anybody can make a mistake, but we all know the punishment for comming to work drunk, in any job, your fired. You need help and should get it. But to miss or even cover up during the course safety related job such as this, should not be tolerated. Using the excuse there was no management, again just an excuse. You can bet somebody at the accident knew what was up. You as a group are not that stupid, please....
I can understand wanting to help a co-worker, but not at the public's expense.
For the rest of us, would we turn in a co-worker we knew was drunk on the job? I think most would not.
However I would hope our officers are above this! Apparently not.

Ben said...

One more thing to get us into perspective. A BAC of .15 ->You may stumble when walking and may have trouble standing up, it takes a 220 pound man 9 drinks to get to this level. People that's totaled in my book. Nobody picked up on it? Really, people who are trained to get people at .08, and you couldn't detect .15, WOW! I'm sure it took some time to get to Hartford as well. You got some explaining to do ;)

Ben said...

6:57 Thanks for your input.
At least the posts here are civil.
I am truely sorry this happened to the department. I await the final outcome of the second investigation.

Anonymous said...

Wasn't Ward drunk when he got caught? Cover up!