Yesterday, it was reported that an off-duty police officer hit a divider on the Bronx River Parkway, overturning the vehicle that held him and his partner. Though police officers at the scene determined that Office Rafael Casiano had been drinking—he admitted he "had a few drinks"—he was not given a Breathalyzer until nine hours later. Now the NYPD says Internal Affairs is investigating that delay.
The Daily News reports that Casiano had been at his lower Manhattan precinct Christmas party before the 4:36 a.m. crash. Cops who responded to the crash could smell alcohol on him, but, still, Casiano wasn't given a Breathalyzer: Finally, "He blew a .032 and a .029 on Breathalyzer tests about nine hours after his arrest, according to the court papers," which is under the 0.08 legal limit. NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said, “IAB is investigating why there was an inordinate delay in it being notified... Despite the delay, IAB, after interviewing EMT and medical staff and obtaining a warrant for the subject’s blood, made the determination that he was unfit for duty, arrested him for DWI and suspended him.”
Casiano's partner Keith Paul was in a coma and suffered head and liver trauma. Paul is now awake at Jacobi Hospital—his mother told the News, "This is my Christmas miracle." Casiano, who suffered back injuries, made the $5,000 bail.
In 2009, a police officer, Andrew Kelly, fatally struck a Brooklyn pedestrian, Vionique Valnord, and wasn't given a blood alcohol test until seven hours after the crash (by then he had no alcohol in his system). Kelly eventually took a plea deal for 90 days in jail.
