Police Chief Buz Dillon is taking another vacation this week. But before he left, he apparently told his staff, "Don't tell nobody nuthin'!"
However, just before he got off the island last Friday, he reportedly was the first officer at the scene of an accident out on North Roosevelt Boulevard. A mother and her young son were injured. Details were sketchy at press time, but we hear that Buz didn't stop to render aid. He simply called in information about the accident— and drove away.
When we asked about it, we received this fax from Dillon's public relations representative: "When Chief Dillon returns from vacation on Monday, August 20, he will fill out a supplemental report to be included in the accident report. Once that has been done, we will provide the report to you. The report remains incomplete until the supplemental has been incorporated."
Now, let's see if we have this straight. The police report was apparently complete last Friday when Police Public Information Officer Cynthia Edwards sent out the news release about the accident. But when we started asking questions about the tip that Buz may have left the scene of the accident, the police report became, suddenly, incomplete. But a supplemental report is promised.
Question: Why didn't Dillon write the report before he went on vacation? We understand that other officers have been disciplined for failing to stop and render aid at the scene of an accident, as well as for failing to complete their paperwork in a timely manner. Gee, do you think that Dillon might disicipline himself?!
It has now been almost a month since the police shootout on Front Street and the high-speed chase across the island involving at least nine police cars, lights flashing and sirens blaring. And lots of questions still remain to be answered:
Was the man in the pickup truck really armed and shooting at police officers? If so, how many shots did he fire? And where's the gun? We understand that police may have "lost" it. How many shots did the police fire— and in which direction? Toward busy Duval Street and the nearby hotels and restaurants? Will the "inquiry" that's underway detail where all those bullets hit? The interim police report says that cops fired "only" eight shots. But a witness says that as many as 18 shots— or more— may have been fired.
Meanwhile, the official police inquiry goes on . . . and on . . . and on. And no one seems to know how long it might take. If it takes this long when no injuries or deaths are involved, imagine how long it might take if one or more innocent bystanders had been wounded or killed by out-of-control police cars or stray bullets.
There's also an inquiry underway to investigate the report that— about a month ago— a Key West police officer was spotted in his patrol car receiving oral sex from a woman. Or maybe not. Police officials won't confirm or deny. But we announced last week that we know the identity of the officer and that we are willing to hold off on that revelation— at least for another week, to give the department and the officer an opportunity to tell their side of the story. We have reported to you the spin that's already emerging: Witnesses may have "mis-saw" what they think they saw and that the officer was really trying, somehow, to "help" the woman. We would love to see that story in an official report. But we would like to see it in this lifetime.
If the police have not released their report by next week, we'll spill the beans on Friday. That seems fair, doesn't it? Teaser: The officer in question is the former business partner of another officer who was fired after he was pictured in uniform, in a national magazine, with his face buried between a woman's sizable breasts. Do we have a classy police department here or what?!
But, frankly, we do understand why oral sex within the police department is really not a big deal to officials. In fact, it's been sort of a tradition within the KWPD. We even have a standard headline we use over and over again whenever we report stories about Key West police officers giving each other oral sex: "Officer Down!"
Even when oral sex isn't actually happening within the police department, it's often proposed. A couple of years ago, the City was sued after a police captain suggested to a female cop that she get herself some knee pads if she wanted a promotion.
So it's really understandable that, when a storeowner called police to report a couple having sex in broad daylight in a parked car outside her store, the cop who showed up watched for a moment or two, then tapped on the window and told the couple to "move along". Yet, just weeks earlier, Key West cops had arrested and jailed dozens of women for playfully showing their breasts during Fantasy Fest. Go figure.
Chief Dillon still continues to stonewall requests to at least explain why a police officer testified under oath two different ways at two different trials about the same incident. Hey, it's just business as usual at the Key West cop shop!
Okay, okay, okay! Of course, we know that most Key West cops are hard working and dedicated. And, ladies and gentlemen, you know who you are. But unfortunately, you have some dumb-ass leadership. Sad but true.