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Today’s Daily Press includes the following story:
Five hurt in three-vehicle crash
May 23, 2010 3:55 PMVICTORVILLE • Several people were injured early Sunday morning during a head-on crash on Highway 395, and while a good Samaritan tried to help the victims, a third vehicle slammed into the crash scene, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s officials said.
Shortly before 4 a.m., a 2001 BMW driven by a 48-year-old man northbound on Highway 395 north of Bear Valley Road, crossed into the southbound lane and struck a 2008 Toyota Camry head on, according to a sheriff’s news release.
The Toyota Camry, driven by a 38-year-old man with a 19-year-old male passenger, spun off the roadway and came to rest on the east dirt shoulder. The BMW remained in the southbound lane.
Just after the collision, an uninvolved motorist stopped to assist the involved parties. While the motorist was standing on the passenger side of the BMW, a 2002 Oldsmobile sport utility vehicle traveling northbound, struck the BMW, throwing the pedestrian from the roadway.
The Oldsmobile, driven by a 26-year-old woman, veered off the roadway, striking a power pole.
All five people involved were transported by ambulance to area trauma centers with unknown injuries, according to sheriff’s officials.
Anyone with information the collision is asked to contact Deputy Scott Chapdelaine at (760) 243-1894.
What is not reported in the story is the fact that an off-duty Alhambra police officer, who had been drinking, was involved in the first accident. The daughter of a recently retired sheriff’s lieutenant was the driver of the vehicle who hit the uninvolved motorist who stopped to assist. She is a sheriff’s deputy who recently was reassigned to the jail due to incompetence. She too had been drinking.
Because of the fact a San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputy was involved in the accident, Lieutenant Hebert from the city of Victorville station was called to the scene. iePolitics has been told that Hebert instructed the responding deputy to leave the facts that alcohol was involved and off-duty officers were involved out of the press release. The deputy responded that he was not willing to cover up for anyone. Lt. Hebert then had a third party prepare the press release. As we can see from the story above, there is no mention of off-duty officers or alcohol.
I am told that kits were done on both cops and it is expected that they will be prosecuted if justified. However, once again we are witnessing the usual pattern of cover-up committed by the Sheriff’s Department. Anyone else who was intoxicated and sent one or more persons to the hospital due to an automobile accident would have their names printed in the paper. This double standards needs to stop.
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May 24th, 2010 at 6:27 PM
I mean what the hell, it’s an election year, why burden anyone with the facts of anything that might make the incumbent running for office look bad, RIGHT?
May 24th, 2010 at 8:12 PM
Here is how and why the cover-up will take place. Alhambra PD in L.A. County has a sergeant by the name of Joe Flannagan. Flannagan has been the L.A. North Chapter Director for P.O.R.A.C. since the mid 1980′s. He has also served on the Executive Board of P.O.R.A.C. as well. Flannagan is another example of former POA president promoting and becoming PMA advocate. Flannagan and S.E.B.A. President Bill Abernathie know each other very well.
May 24th, 2010 at 10:31 PM
Holy Crap.. I am starting to feel like I have entered into the Twilight Zone… it just keeps getting creepier and creepier. Who do we trust to do the right thing anymore?
May 24th, 2010 at 11:57 PM
We need transparency. We need a fresh start. Elect Paul Schrader for Sheriff of San Bernardino County.
May 25th, 2010 at 2:54 PM
Just found an article in today’s Sun paper about this crash.
NOW Sheriff’s officials name the driver’s. NO off duty cops mention though.
YOU ARE a funny man Hoops. If this blog was not here this article would have NEVER been corrected.
http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_15154138
May 25th, 2010 at 5:41 PM
Did we fail to mention just last month a motor deputy was caught going to court on his county paid motor driving DUI? That deputy was from Victorville. Wow…given 20 days off, but instead of doing what was right and taking it like a man (although he should have been arrested), he is now out on a workers comp case.
May 25th, 2010 at 9:00 PM
Target, will you email me at sharon@iepolitics.com?
May 25th, 2010 at 11:02 PM
Looks like a Riverside PD (the chief) problem developing here. If the driver, the 26 year old, is in reality, a SBSD employee, why is the case still being handled by the county?
Shouldn’t this case have been turned over to another agency, such as CHP?
ACU, I know from this blog, that you were trained for DUI’s, what is the time limit for blood tests results being admitted into court, is it 2 or 3 hours?
I would guess that since the drivers are both in the hospital, that the only option is the blood draw, am I wrong?
May 25th, 2010 at 11:22 PM
Blood BA should be taken within 3 hours of the incident.
NO worries, a blood BA was taken on the parties involved before they left the scene and were transported to area hospitals.
No time issues on this.
May 26th, 2010 at 12:04 AM
Thanks for the information and update.
May 26th, 2010 at 8:58 PM
SBSD should follow the lead of LASO and make it a practice of outing department members who are caught driving under the influence. Perhaps that will help with the “God Complex” and “untouchable” attitude some deputies have.
“For example, Undersheriff Larry Waldie now e-mails employees, describing the conduct of deputies involved in alcohol-related arrests, Gennaco said. In one e-mail, Waldie revealed that a nine-year veteran was arrested for driving under the influence after being involved in a traffic collision.”
affectionately called “waldie-grams”
http://articles.latimes.com/2009/apr/16/local/me-sheriffs-misconduct16
May 26th, 2010 at 9:52 PM
Have someone in the investigation check phone,text, and email records between SEBA President Bill Abernathie, and Alhambra PD Sergeant/L.A. North Chapter Director of PORAC Joe Flannagan. This would reveal how swiftly the cover-up begins.
Any honest investigator would reveal a systemic level of corruption that is so commonplace that those involved will engage in antiquated measures to conceal their corrupted action and inaction.
They cannot control CHP Sgt. Milstar. CHP would potentially call in a MAIT Team when it involves DUI sworn personnel.
May 26th, 2010 at 10:59 PM
While criticizing law enforcement agencies you might want to get the name of the agency correct. We’ll know where our anger should be placed.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff Department is not L.A.S.O. It is a department not an office.
May 27th, 2010 at 11:51 PM
You might want to get a lot of things correct before you post incorrect/twisted facts, Mr Schrader. How many years have you served as Lieutenant, by the way?
May 27th, 2010 at 11:59 PM
Loving,
So what do you disagree with. This story has been confirmed by command staff as well as numerous deputies who were briefed about the situation.
May 28th, 2010 at 9:28 AM
I wish there was a polite way to say this so that I could avoid it. You people are IDIOTS! Do you have so much time on your hands that you sit around and find conspiracies in everything?
I’d love to know where you people get your “facts”, because you need a refund. I especially love how you inflate each other’s egos with comments like, “ACU, I know from this blog, that you were trained for DUI’s, what is the time limit for blood tests results being admitted into court, is it 2 or 3 hours?” What’s worse is the response: “NO worries, a blood BA was taken on the parties involved before they left the scene and were transported to area hospitals.”
First of all, I’d love to know how you know this. Were you present and witnessed this personally, or did you receive a “divine vision” that showed you this? Law enforcement doesn’t take blood samples. They use medical professionals to draw blood AT A HOSPITAL. (Marty, you can start another “theory” about that, I’m sure). If the suspect is in custody, the sample may be collected at the jail facility by a registered nurse, but NEVER is the sample collected in the field.
And while we’re at it Marty, how about having a little personal knowledge about a subject before posting. Don’t just Google search, re-word and post. All the facts you posted about Flannagan are from your personal relationship with him, right? If you knew Flannagan, you would know that he is very anti-corruption, but they don’t list that in a Google search, so I doubt you would know that about him.
As for involving a MAIT team, it stands for Major Accident Investigation Team. They respond to MAJOR accidents involving multiple fatalities or high profile incidents such as the Sam Kinison accident in 1992. I hardly think this qualifies as either. Just because it involves off duty police officers doesn’t justify calling the CHP to avoid a cover up. Who does the CHP call when an accident involves an off duty CHP officer? The FBI?
And “Administrator”, love how you word your last response. I’m sure that the story has been confirmed as happening, but as for all these allegations, have they been confirmed? Because the way I’m seeing it, you just hint at something happening, then stand back and let it take on a life of its own. Skillfully done, but disgusting just the same.
May 28th, 2010 at 10:56 AM
Hello People, this is nothing new for the SO. How soon we forget, Carrasco, Tina Shafia, now a DA Investigator, her ex, Todd Shafia, Whitted, who used to come to work at the jail drunk off his ass daily, this is just to name a few. Get real, Hoops isn’t going to do anything nor is the command staff. They will all just stand there with that stupid look on their faces and hope it all goes away. Everyone knows this story will be a hot topic until someone else screws up, which shouldn’t take very long. It’s all a sham.
May 28th, 2010 at 11:05 AM
Lex you are wrong on one issue I have been present when the paramedics at the scene have taken blood when requested to do so by police personnel.
May 28th, 2010 at 11:40 AM
I heard that Todd would come to patrol drunk and finally got caught by another deputy that would not cover up for him. I was glad to hear that there are deputies that will do the right thing even though it can ruin their chances for promotion.
May 28th, 2010 at 1:59 PM
LEX dude relax.
From the time a cop arrives on scene of an accident, the blood sample should be taken before the 3 hour mark. IF not, then expect it to be challenged in court.
Second a Paramedic whether from the Fire Department, AMR ambulance, or from Mercy Air Ambulance can legally and medically draw a blood sample for you if you ask them too.
NO THE COPS do not draw the blood sample, never have and never will. And NO ONE said they did.
Besides those medical personnel I mentioned above, the Sheriff’s Department and several other police agencies have a service called LEMS (Law Enforcement Medical Services)
They are medically trained and licensed blood technicians who not only do blood draws for alcohol testing, they also assist in completing rape kits (gathering evidence) on those cases.
They have testified in court more than once. They are certified. Some of their staff are LVN or RN statues. Great people and do a fantastic job.
When I arrived on the scene of a collision if it was of the magnitude that the crash victim was going to be transported to the hospital, I call LEMS who came to the scene and drew a blood sample for me.
Many times LEMS was there onscene in 10 or 15 minutes.
In cases where the crash victim was extremely critical and was airlifted to Loma Linda or ARMC and I was not able to get blood, I would have a Sheriff’s Unit meet the helicopter at the hospital and they would get a blood sample there.
YES thank you for telling me what MAIT stands for.
CHP’s policy and Sheriff’s policy differ quite a bit.
First, CHP are STATE TRAFFIC OFFICERS their primary duty is to enforce traffic laws and investigate traffic collisions on state highways and unicorporated areas of the Counties they work in.
ALL CHP officers are trained in traffic accident investigation and ALL are qualified to conduct FATAL and Major Injury Collision investigations.
CHP rolls their MAIT teams out on multiple fatals and on a couple other factors. But if the CHP supervisor feels MAIT should be called, then they roll.
Sorry HIGH profile single car FATAL accidents involving famous people is not a MAIT call out for CHP either.
As for City and County agencies not all of their personnel are trained in Major or Fatal accident investigations. But every City or County has MAIT Teams and MAIT investigators.
So even a bad crash with moderate injuries a MAIT investigator might roll out.
This accident mentioned here was a MAJOR accident that still might become a fatal. I understand the Alhambra Officer is not doing well.
Before this story was printed here I talked with a couple people to find out what happened who knew the circumstances of the case.
Was I their to see the blood being drawn NO.
ARE you suggesting it wasn’t?
SO YOUR comment about using professionals at Hospitals to draw blood is about 10 YEARS behind the times.
NOW if you wish to continue to call us or me an idiot that is fine.
Please forward your phone number to the Administrator and I will be happy to explain a few more details to you over the phone.
YOU can always call me an idiot and hang up.
May 28th, 2010 at 8:22 PM
To the writer calling himself Lex Luther:
Since ACU addressed your outdated, and naive position on the protocol of MAIT investigations, I’ll address the latter. Your claim of my having Google’d, changing, then re-posting the circumstances surrounding the accident are either inaccurate, or an intentional lie.
Scroll up this very posting, and you will see my comments addressed exclusively the likely manner in how the cover-up were to have taken place, and not the circumstances surrounding the collision. I welcome opposing viewpoints, but don’t demand more from others than you are willing to give yourself in the “Accuracy Department.”
In regards to PORAC Executive Board, Region III Director Sgt. Joe Flannagan of Alhambra PD’s PMA, what good he has done in his POA or PORAC positions has long since passed. He did great work early on, but that has been replaced over the years by the subtle transition from POA advocate, to PMA yes-man. Flannagan said in the early 80′s that no one above the rank of sergeant or higher should hold any office in PORAC.
Since Flannagan has promoted, and sergeant’s are management at Alhambra PD, that opinion has obviously changed. With PORAC President Ron Cottingham being a lieutenant for the San Diego S.D. it is clear that Flannagan, along with other aged PORAC administrators, and LDF attorney’s have allowed, and facilitated the hi-jacking of PORAC from its rank-and-file membership to PMA sell-outs. Any union leader that gets promoted sold out. The great ones get fired. See below my posting from March 28, 2010 re: the Chelsea King and Amber Dubois homicides:
From March 28, 2010:
To know the character of SEBA President, and PORAC Director-At-Large Bill Abernathie, you need only look at the company he keeps with PORAC. Bill Abernathie is friends with Huntington Beach PD Lieutenant Russell Reinhart, who is also PORAC’s former treasurer, and current Legal Defense Fund board member. Bill Abernathie is a PORAC Board Appointed member of the Legal Defense fund as well.
You have likely seen Lt. Russell Reinhart on the news attempting to defend his department’s antiquated actions when having stopped a suspect wanted for murder. Amber Dubois, and Chelsea King were allegedly murdered by John Albert Gardner. Huntington Beach officers had pulled Gardner over several times, and let him go. They also had a wanted flyer of Gardner that is nearly identical to him. They could have violated his parole, and sent his to prison. They did not. They screwed up.
So who does the Huntington Beach Police Chief summon to run interference and spin the story to the press? Lt. Russell Reinhart, Abernathie’s dear friend and union colleague. Abernathie, Reinhart, SEBA and PORAC are synonymous. Chelsea King is dead, and Lt. Reinhart is covering up his department’s role in her death.
Marty Lockwood
28 Mar 10 at 5:59 PM
End
The Joe Flannagan we knew in the early 80′s would NEVER have stood by while an enabler of child rape and murder like Lieutenant and PORAC LDF Board member Russel Reinhart publicly spins his department’s culpability right in front of these girls parents. We like the old Joe better.
This cover-up, Mr. Luther, of Huntington Beach PD’s misconduct in not violating John Gardner’s parole when they found him with drugs, and in violation of other laws/conditions of parole warranting revocation of his parole parole is so disgusting it is shocking to the senses.
Even John & Ken of KFI AM 640 called out Lt. Russel Reinhart for being a filthy liar while attempting to cover his department’s tracks. It didn’t work. For Reinhart (PORAC) to publicly facilitate something so disgusting, these creeps may just as well have held Chelsea’s arms and legs down as Suspect John Gardner raped and strangled her. Against corruption Mr. Luther? Just where is Sgt. Joe Flannagan and the rest of PORAC’s voice against corruption now? Abernathie, Flannagan, and Reinhart are all long time PORAC/SEBA associates and friends.
I was working just before AB301 was signed by Jerry Brown in 1977. I remember the officers that fought for what was right, and were fired with impunity. History is repeating itself, and those that fought prior to 1977 should not see their efforts and accomplishments corrupted by spineless, cowards such as those in PORAC or SEBA management. The pioneer spirit that founded PORAC is dead. Those in PORAC that have stayed too long and sold it out, killed it.
The only reason Attorney General Jerry Brown did not name PORAC President, and CALPERS Board Member Ron Cottingham in his criminal probe into their CALPERS investment fraud investigation is PORAC will be endorsing Jerry Brown in his bid for Governor; just as they did his sister Kathleen Brown.
Most of those in SEBA/PORAC positions of power did all their hard work attempting to attain the power positions they now hold. They haven’t worked a day since. Staying in power is their full time job, and attaining more of it is where their true hearts lie.
To the families of Chelsea and Amber; your daughters deserved better, before and after they went to be with the Lord. There is no English translation to describe how sorry, and embarrassed we are.
We will pray for God to comfort you, and we also pray for the Godless ones that let you down, and did not act as men, apologizing to you in person.
May 29th, 2010 at 11:37 AM
The composite that was distributed of Gardner that Huntington Beach Police passed out to its officers could not have matched any closer. This is such a sad, and preventable story.
November 13th, 2010 at 9:26 AM
I initially read this blog with mixed feeling having watched Joe Flannagan mature from a late ’70′s bumbling, stumbling baffoon of an officer to what appeared to be a ’90′s man who found his place in law enforcement through PORAC.
Unfortunately I have to agree with his critics. Having personally helped Joe over the years, as the VP of the Association and later as an attorney rep’ing cops (non-PORAC), I called in a debt owed, asking Joe to sign a simple affidavit in support of officer whos’ Chief was violating his AB301 rights.
After the standard “I’ll have to check with my PORAC attorney first..”, and after thirty some years of persoanl association, Joe doesn’t even have the balls to respond back.
I’m not sure why he’s currently recouperating from back surgery. I have it on good authority when they opened him up they found he was spineless. JMHO.
June 6th, 2011 at 2:03 PM
I have no problem with cops driving drunk on their own time. Free country. The same freedoms that allow this blog to exist. Suck on it.