Fox 5 Reporter Blames Crash On 10-Foot Cop

NYPD detective turned Fox 5 reporter Mike Sheehan is saying "neigh" to charges that he was allegedly drunk when he drove into a mounted police officer on Monday night. Sheehan's lawyer Thomas Monagan said, "It is Mr. Sheehan's position that the horse ran into his car," according to the Daily News, which has a photo of the car showing a damaged driver's side window. Cops say Sheehan drove into the horse and cop on Varick at N. Moore Street in Tribeca, leaving the cop with a bruised leg and the horse with cuts, bruises and scrapes; they add that Sheehan refused to take a Breathalyzer test. Monagan said, "How do you hit a horse with the side of your car? You can't," and pointed out that a police officer's initial report found that Sheehan's breath did not smell of alcohol but then the cop apparently changed his story the next morning to say the newsman had "slurred speech and the smell of alcohol on his breath." (P.S. NYPD horses are referred to as 10-foot cops.)

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By Jen Chung in News on April 1, 2009 2:29 PM

Comments [rss]

Steven

Why was the story taken down earlier only to be put up again?

Jen Chung

I accidentally published it too early.

CR

How do you hit a horse with the side of your car? You can't."

So I guess when anyone gets "sideswiped" it's never the drivers fault...

SP

There already is one.

felixthecat2

Strictly speaking, refusing the breathalyzer is not a criminal offense, but a civil violation of the terms of your driver's license, by which you agree to provide a sample of your breath or blood on duly authorized demand. The civil penalty for this refusal, of course, is a year's suspension of your driver's license for a first offense. I meant in every accident even if the police don't suspect drunk driving and there should be mandatory jail time for those who refuses it. In london and Dublin, they drink like sailor but they don't have the high drunk driving rates as we do. it has to stop

felixthecat2

There is no law that makes it mandatory for them to take it.Without the evidence of a breath or blood test to use against you, the government must use probable cause evidence to charge you with a DUI. They should do it forcibly. take them to the hospital and have blood drawn. too many people are avoiding prosecution by refusing the test.