A commander with the Metropolitan Police Section in Washington, D.C., resigned after a area information investigation located he used patrol autos as transportation to and from a bar.
William Fitzgerald submitted his notice of retirement on Thursday, and the MPD explained to the Washington Examiner he has been put on administrative go away right up until then. The subject stays less than investigation, according to the agency.
“We not too long ago discovered that MPD’s Fifth District Commander William Fitzgerald was the issue of an investigative news story, and were suggested of his relating to habits,” the MPD explained in a statement. “Based on the details offered to us, our Interior Affairs Bureau initiated an investigation.”
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Fitzgerald rode in MPD patrol cars and trucks or unmarked town-owned SUVs to Solly’s U St. Tavern, a bar in northwest D.C., various periods about a two-7 days time period, an investigation from WJLA found. The officer would exit a marked law enforcement motor vehicle and afterwards get picked up by a different motor vehicle, footage of Fitzgerald’s carry out on 5 situations throughout a two-week interval showed.
On 1 occasion, reporters filmed Fitzgerald going for walks into the bar at about 11:45 p.m., and cameras showed him ingesting a number of beers and photographs. On most evenings, he would leave at about 1:30 a.m., the outlet documented.
“I drank also a lot tonight,” Fitzgerald is recorded indicating to an individual inside Solly’s. “I got a ride coming.”
Right after a reporter asked regardless of whether he used the patrol vehicles as transportation to occur to the bar, he denied the suggestion.
“No. We just dropped off now. We go all around and check out our beats due to the fact we have some extra time beats out,” he instructed the outlet. “We trip around and test them out, and I was coming in this article, and he dropped me off here. It was one more automobile. It’s 1 of my officers I communicate to.”
However, footage confirmed he would normally get picked up from his condominium, with his conquer only long lasting 10 minutes on the journey from his condominium to Solly’s on the nights the information team adopted him.
“No. I said at the conclude of the night time that’s completely wrong. That’s completely wrong, sir,” he claimed. “I do consider Ubers in some cases, but you are right. I am very incorrect.”
It is unclear how extensive Fitzgerald has applied MPD means to travel to and from the bar, but he acknowledged it has been “too prolonged.”
Off-obligation officers are prohibited from carrying a gun when consuming liquor, in accordance to MPD guidelines. It was unclear regardless of whether Fitzgerald was armed when he entered the bar, reporters said.
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Fitzgerald joined the MPD in 1990, serving in a range of patrol and investigative roles. He was promoted to the 5th District commander, the major position overseeing a big part of northeast D.C., in 2015.
The evaluate of his operate perform is the 2nd investigation the MPD has declared in the final thirty day period, with one more officer at the moment on depart amid alleged ties to a suitable-wing group.