Indianapolis—
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Chief Paul Ciesielski admits holding meetings and a news conference for Public Safety Director Frank Straub instead of investigating an officer's accident.Chief Ciesielski tells Fox 59 News that during the initial stages of an investigation into a fatal accident involving one of his officers, he was more focused on handling the public relations problems of his boss than asking questions about the crash.
Officer David Bisard ran down and killed motorcyclist Eric Wells on East 56th Street at 11:21 a.m. on August 6th. At that hour, Ciesielski and Straub were meeting in Straub's office talking about the Director's public image.
"I think we both felt that we were taking a lot of incoming at the time," Ciesielski told Fox 59 News as he reflected back on a week when Straub's plan to decentralize some detective branches was taking criticism. The Fraternal Order of Police had defeated a proposed contract, and the Director told a radio audience that investigators had the name of a murder suspect and would arrest him within a couple days. Detectives say that disclosure set back their investigation.
"It just seemed like the hits, especially toward the Public Safety Director, were coming his way. So I felt it was important, as the Chief, to step up and defend my boss who I believe is doing an excellent job."
"There was a lot of stuff being put out in the media that said that the Chief and I were not partners," said Straub, "that I was micromanaging the police department."
Ciesielski said he learned about the Bisard crash while in a meeting with Straub that morning but decided to not go to the scene because Assistant Chief Darryl Pierce, Deputy Chief John Conley and Deputy Chief Ron Hicks went to the site of the accident where Conley took charge of the investigation.
"I heard several times from Chief Pierce about what was going on at the scene," said Ciesielski. "I knew at that time that it was a serious incident."
Ciesielski told Fox 59 News he did not view any lunchtime newscasts about the accident and instead sent text messages to Hicks, Pierce and Deputy Chief William Benjamin directing them to come to his office at headquarters for a 1 p.m. meeting. The topic of that meeting was rehabilitation of Dr. Straub's battered public image and preparation for a 3 p.m. news conference to support the Public Safety Director.
"I felt he was being unjustly crucified by the media, by the officers and by the community."
Sources tell Fox 59 News that Ciesielski was contacted several times by at least two of his commanders, Pierce and Hicks, from the scene and advised of the severity of the accident which left one man dead and two people injured. The Chief was briefed again at the beginning of the 1 p.m. meeting about the critical nature of the crash. Ciesielski said he did not recall being briefed at the meeting and did not ask any questions.
Sources also tell Fox 59 News that the Chief was advised that a news conference to polish Straub's image was a bad idea. Ciesielski asked for a commitment from the commanders to stand with him during the press appearance two hours later. They did although none of the other officers spoke up on Straub's behalf.
Ciesielski tells Fox 59 News that after the conclusion of the news briefing, he again did not ask for an update from his commanders on the severity of the Bisard crash. He only gradually learned of more troubling details over the weekend and of a disputed blood draw that indicated Bisard was drunk.
That crucial part of what is now being described as a botched investigation occurred while the Chief was meeting with his commanders at 1 p.m. and focusing on Straub's public image problems while not asking questions about the Bisard investigation.
"Should you have gone (to the accident scene)?" the Chief was asked.
"Well, in hindsight, I wish I was there, yes.
"I think what we're dealing with is people trying to make excuses for their failure in leadership" Ciesielski said. "It was never discussed in that meeting, and you would think when they came to the office they would discuss, 'Chief, why'd you pull me away? I shouldn't have left the scene.' Those conversations never took place. When I sent the message for them to come to the meeting at 1:00, no one said, 'What's the meeting about, chief? I can't leave. I gotta be in charge here.' No one said that."
Ciesielski repeatedly admitted he did not initiate conversations about the accident investigation that day or ask questions about the progress of the case.
The Chief said he still enjoys the full support of Mayor Greg Ballard and Dr. Straub. "We're working forward as a team."
When Mayor Ballard was advised of this account of the meetings that day, he was visibly distressed.
"If true, it's disturbing, obviously," said the mayor. "That is something that is going to have to be looked into. The timing of that, if it is…is extremely disturbing to me. We're going to have to take a serious look at that."
When asked if Ciesielski and Straub still enjoyed his support, Mayor Ballard said, "We have to look at the facts as they evolve. We have to see what this is going to turn out to be. Right now they do have my support."
Conley was demoted to lieutenant for his role in controlling the crash scene. Hicks and Pierce were also demoted to the lieutenant rank for reportedly not communicating the severity of the crash to the Chief and a failure to show leadership of an investigation from which they were called away to attend the meeting to plan the pro-Straub news conference.
Lt. George Hicks, commander of a unit that investigates fatal crashes, was removed from his command this past week when Dr. Straub became aware that Hicks was told not to report to the scene and never played a role in the investigation. The Director told at least three audiences that he would apologize to Hicks and offer him his job back.
Straub now disputes that Fox 59 report and claims he will wait until an FBI investigation into the crash is completed before he makes that decision.
