UPI (Florida)
A Florida police deputy had a bad driving record prior to being hired by the Sheriff's office. The officer, a deputy with the Broward Sheriff's Office. Although the deputy's driving record was known via his background investigation, the Broward Sheriff's Office (BSO) still hired the deputy. The Broward Sheriff's Office deputy involved in a fatal traffic accident had his license suspended several times, according to his personnel file released Wednesday.
Deputy Paul Pletcher's driver's license was suspended three times from 1992 to 1998 because of speeding and underage drinking in Pennsylvania. The suspensions occurred before he became a BSO deputy in 2004.
In 1992, when he was a teenager, his license was suspended for 90 days following two speeding tickets and an underage drinking charge.
In 1995, his license was suspended again after he received a ticket for driving 105 mph in a 55 mph zone. In 1998, after several more speeding charges, his license was suspended for driving 77 mph in a 65 mph zone.
Pletcher, 33, first applied to BSO in 2002, but was told to reapply in one year because of his driving record, according to his file. He was hired two years later.
As a deputy, Pletcher has received letters of commendation and was named Employee of the Month for the Pompano Beach district in September 2005.
Eric Jonathan French, 26, was riding his motorbike north on 30th Avenue in Pompano Beach on Monday when he crashed into the side of Pletcher's patrol car.
Pletcher was heading east on Fourth Street around 6:45 p.m. when he pulled out from a stop sign at the intersection, according to the Florida Highway Patrol, which is investigating at BSO's request.
French did not have a stop sign on 30th Avenue.
The impact knocked French off the bike. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
''It's still under investigation,'' said FHP Sgt. Mark Wysocky. ``It will be awhile before we know who was at fault here.''
French, who was not wearing a helmet, had no registration, mirrors, lights or tags on the motorbike. His driver's license had been revoked, according to FHP.
Neither Pletcher nor his passenger, Deputy Jose Rosado, 36, required medical treatment, according to FHP.
Pletcher, originally from Lancaster, Pa., joined BSO in October 2004. He graduated from Pennsylvania Manor High School and went on to study business administration at Harrisburg Area Community College.
Before joining BSO, Pletcher was a supervisor at a gasoline station owned by his family, where he supervised the night-shift employees, helped with repairs and conducted the store's monthly inventory.
He had applied to several Pennsylvania police departments, including Manheim Township, York and Lancaster, before applying to BSO.
His records also show he admitted to using marijuana twice in 1992.
In March 2006, Pletcher's lieutenant praised Pletcher's ''excellent police work'' when he helped a detective solve a burglary and recovering two stolen guns.
The detective said Pletcher showed ``professionalism and dedication to service.''
2 comments:
The simple fact is that most deputies and patrol officers will spend nearly 80% of their work week behind the wheel of a marked patrol unit. More law enforcement officers are killed due to a vehicle accident than any other manner nationwide. The background investigation clearly revealed that the deputy had a bad driving history, yet either the background investigator chose to look beyond that issue or at some point in the hiring process it was deemed to not be a disqualifying issue. The price to be paid for such huge oversight is a tragic one indeed. A man has lost his life and the young deputy's life is forever altered. The necessity of a background investigation is to reveal such potential situations. The necessity of the background investigator is to act upon those findings.
Paul was pulled over after a PA. Cop seen damage to his driver's side front tire. Paul was drinking and driving. He was taken to the Columbia police station for finger printing. Paul knows cops and is hoping they get him out of the D.U.I.
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