9 PANEL NOW TO OUR NEWS 5 INVESTIGATES...
CANON CITY POLICE SAY ONE OF ITS OFFICERS MADE A "POTENTIAL ERROR" THAT RESULTED IN A DIABETIC MAN GOING TO JAIL AND LOSING HIS DRIVER'S LICENSE....
FOR A CRIME HE DIDN'T COMMIT.
MELVIN THURBER WAS ARRESTED FOR A D-U-I...
BUT MEDICAL NOTES SHOW HE HAD NO SIGNS OF INTOXICATION.
HERE'S ERIC ROSS WITH MORE.
TAKE PKG PRE TAPED INTRO GOOD AFTERNOON--- AS MISTER THURBER WAS BOOKED INTO JAIL, WE NOW KNOW THAT HE DISCLOSED HE WAS DIABETIC AND ON
MEDICATION....
BUT FOR WHATEVER REASON, THAT INFORMATION WAS NOT PUT IN THE ARRESTING OFFICER'S REPORT.
THE CANON CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT
CALLING THIS QUOTE "A POTENTIAL ERROR" IN THIS LETTER THEY SENT
TO THE D-M-V AFTER OUR ORIGINAL STORY AIRED.
HOWVER--TONIGHT- THE D-M-V ON THE DEFENSIVE...
STANDING BY ITS DECISION TO CHARGE MISTER THURBER MONEY TO REINSTATE HIS LICENSE AND REQUIRING HIM TO HAVE BREATHALYZER IN HIS CAR FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS.
"IF I WAS GUILTY I WOULDN'T BE HERE.
I'M INNOCENT.
I'M HERE AND IT IS A VERY FRUSTRATING MESS THAT I'M TRYING TO CRAWL THROUGH TO GET SOMEBODY TO HEAR THE TRUTH." CANON CITY POLICE PULLED MELVIN THURBER OVER ON SUSPICION OF
D-U-I.
AND THE ARRESTING OFFICER'S REPORT SHOWS THURBER HAD ALL THE SIGNS OF SOMEONE WHO IS INTOXICATED.
CONSTRICTED EYES, DROOPY EYELIDS, DROWSINESS AND SLURRED SPEECH.
THE TRAFFIC STOP---TIME STAMPED AT 11:06 P-M...
THAT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER---BECAUSE 51 MINUTES LATER, AT 11:57 AT NIGHT---THURBER WAS SEEN BY MEDICAL STAFF AT SAINT THOMAS MORE HOSPITAL.
THE MEDICAL NOTES--- CONTRADICT THE OFFICER'S STATEMENTS.
THE DOCTOR SAID THURBER WAS ALERT---HIS EYES WERE FINE, HE WAS CALM, COOPERATIVE, PLEASANT AND DID NOT APPEAR INTOXICATED.
IT'S A REPORT CANON CITY'S POLICE CHIEF TOLD US LAST MONTH THAT HE HAD NOT SEEN UNTIL WE SHOWED IT TO HIM.
"IS THAT A CONCERN TO YOU---THE DISCREPANCIES IN THAT REPORT?
ANYTIME THERE IS CONFLICTING INFORMATION FROM WHAT WE SEE IN OUR INVESTIGATION, WE ARE BOUND NEW INFORMATION WE DIDN'T HAVE AT THE TIME OF THE INVESTIGATION, WE WILL
ABSOLUTELY FOLLOW BACK UP WITH THAT." AND CHIEF DEREC HARVEY KEPT HIS WORD....
CONDUCTING A REVIEW AND SENDING THIS LETTER TO THE DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES.
IT READS IN PART: "MISTER THURBER HAS PROVIDED MEDICAL RECORDS THAT SHOW HE HAS NON-INSULIN DEPENDENT DIABETES MELLITUS.
MISTER THURBER PROVIDED THIS INFORMATION TO THE HOSPITAL STAFF DURING HIS INTAKE." "WHEN MISTER THURBER WAS PROCESSED AT THE FREMONT COUNTY JAIL, HE DISCLOSED TO THEM THAT
HE IS DIABETIC AND TAKES MEDICATION FOR HIS DIABETES.
SINCE THIS IS A POTENTIAL ERROR ON THE PART OF OUR OFFICER, I AM REQUESTING THAT THIS INFORMATION BE CONSIDERED IN ANY REVIEW OF THIS CASE." "I'M HOPING THAT WHEN THEY DO
RECEIVE THIS LETTER THAT ONCE THEY REVIEW IT THAT MAYBE THEN THEY'LL GIVE ME A CALL AND GIVE ME A CHANCE TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT BY CASE." WE FOLLOWED UP WITH THE D-M-
V....BUT A SPOKESPERSON WOULD NOT CONFIRM WHETHER THEY RECEIVED THE LETTER FROM THE CANON CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT...
SO TO MAKE SURE THEY GOT IT....
WE PRINTED OUT A COPY AND MAILED IT, OVERNIGHT TO THE D-M-V.
A SPOKESPERSON DID SAY THEY TRIED NUMEROUS TIME TO CONTACT MISTER THURBER TO DISCUSS HIS CASE....SOMETHING THURBER DISPUTES.
WE ASKED THE D-M-V TO PROVIDE WATCHING OUT FOR YOU, ERIC ROSS, NEWS FIVE INVESTIGATES.
========================