Was his accident fairly investigated?
06:25 PM CDT on Thursday, August 14, 2003
From 11 News Staff Reports
SUGAR LAND -- He's on record as having a couple of drinks. But was the Sugar Land Police Chief driving drunk when he rear-ended two cars? We may never know because the chief wasn't given a sobriety test. But 11 News has gone through records in this case has learned he is at fault.
In fact, we've made some calls and learned an investigating officer reported that he smelled alcohol on the chief, but the officer reported he found no signs of intoxication after the three-car crash July 30 at Highway 6 and Kensington Boulevard in Sugar Land.
Videotape was recording from inside the police car as it rolled up on what appeared to be just another fender-bender in Sugar Land.
Problem is this isn't just another wreck.
For some reason, the patrolman, Officer Tod Cox, turned his microphone off so you can't hear what happens next.
But Sugar Land Police Chief Michael Van Court reportedly caused the crash in his police car, rear-ending two vehicles stopped at a red light.
11 News found that Chief Van Court admitted he had been drinking the night of July 30.
Investigators said their boss didn't appear to be intoxicated. But in a report obtained by 11 News police said they could smell the odor of alcohol on the chief.
But once again, for some reason, Officer Tod Cox decided not to give his commander a field sobriety test. A local hospital didn't check the chief's blood alcohol level either.
The ACLU says anyone else wouldn't receive the same special treatment. "Well it's apparent from the documents there wasn't really a fair impartial investigation into this accident," said ACLU attorney Randall Kallinen.
But besides the question of alcohol there's more. The report lists Chief Van Court at fault in the three-car wreck.
Again, Officer Cox, using his discretion, a SLPD spokeswoman said, did not give his boss a ticket for driving too close or causing the crash.
So what does Chief Van Court have to say about all this, or Sugar Land's City manager Allen Bogard?
11 News asked to interview both. The city wouldn't allow it. It's in the middle of an administrative investigation to see if correct procedures were followed.
An outcome is expected in a week or so.