Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is all for police accountability – besides when she’s sitting within the passenger seat of a police cruiser that runs a pink mild and crashes into one other automobile.
Wu repeatedly declined to say why the blue police lights and siren had been on in her metropolis police SUV as she was bombarded with questions on Tuesday’s accident which shook her up and injured the motive force and little one who had been within the different SUV.
“As with any kind of departmental or city vehicle that is involved in a crash there is a review that happens,” Wu stated as she entered an occasion in Charlestown.
Wu did add one tidbit – that “it was not an emergency yesterday where we were headed. It’s an incident that is under review and I have full faith in the team and their professionalism.”
But the incident report launched on Wednesday morning didn’t even identify Wu, itemizing her as an alternative as a “passenger who is known to the Commonwealth.”
It was a case research in non-accountability and evasion – one thing you’d count on from an outdated boys community pol however hypocritical from a progressive who promised to carry police accountable as one of many cornerstones of her administration.
She’s presupposed to be about transparency and open authorities.
And there are essential questions nonetheless not answered. Will the police officer driving Wu be disciplined? Will the motive force of the opposite automobile be cited?
In reality, it took hours to even disclose she was in an accident on Hyde Park Ave. in Roslindale, and practically a full day for police to supply the accident report. Wu confirmed up at a press convention hours after the accident and didn’t say a peep about it.
The subsequent day, she nonetheless couldn’t present primary solutions like who ordered the blue lights on, and what’s the coverage for her police automobile because it navigates crowded Boston site visitors.
“I’m not totally familiar with all the policies and procedures,” she stated when requested in regards to the blue lights. “I was on my phone and not really seeing what was happening as the lights were turned on at that intersection.”
Wu was additionally cautious to not throw her feminine driver below the bus, repeatedly praising police and first responders who had been on the scene of the crash inside minutes.
Wu was additionally fairly dismissive of the accidents that did happen to the opposite occupants, Nothing to see right here of us, transfer alongside.
We’ll see about that. This is the sort of accident ripe for a private damage lawsuit.
It comes on the heels of different extremely publicized instances of public officers getting caught utilizing blue lights of their official automobiles, together with former U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins, who put her emergency lights on in a shopping mall parking zone to intimidate one other driver.
Rollins by no means paid a value for that incident, however she ultimately was compelled out final month for violating ethics legal guidelines.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”