FOLLOWING UP ON A NEWS FIVE INVESTIGATION---- TONIGHT- THE CANON CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT OPENLY ADMITTING ONE OF ITS OFFICERS MADE A "POTENTIAL ERROR" THAT RESULTED IN A
DIABETIC MAN GOING TO JAIL AND LOSING HIS DRIVER'S LICENSE....ALL FOR A CRIME HE DIDN'T COMMIT.
MELVIN THURBER WAS ARRESTED FOR A D-U-I...
BUT MEDICAL NOTES OBTAINED BY NEWS FIVE INVESTIGATES SHOW...
HE HAD NO SIGNS OF INTOXICATION.
CHIEF INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER ERIC ROSS LIVE IN OUR NEWSROOM WITH NEW DEVELOPMENTS ON THE CASE.
ERIC--- 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 GE 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 T SIGNS OF SOMEONE WHO IS INTOXICATED.
CONSTRICTED EYES, DROOPY EYELIDS, DROWSINESS AND SLURRED SPEECH.
THE TRAFFIC STOP---TIME STAMPE AT 11:06 P-M...
THAT'S IMPORTANT T REMEMBER---BECAUSE 51 MINUTES LATER, AT 11:57 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 I OUR INVESTIGATION, WE ARE BOUND TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT.
IF THERE'S NEW INFORMATION WE DIDN'T HAVE AT THE TIME OF THE INVESTIGATION, WE WILL ABSOLUTELY FOLLOW BACK UP WI 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-INSULEN DEPENDENT DIABETES MELLITUS.
MISTER THURBER PROVIDED THIS INFORMATION TO THE HOSPTIAL STAFF DURING HIS INTAKE." "WHEN MISTER THURBER W 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 CAHNCE TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT BY CASE.
WE FOLLOWED UP WITH THE D-M- V....BUT A SPOKEPSERSON 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 ANY RECORDS SHOWING WHO EXACTLY FROM THE D-M-V REACHED OUT T MISTER THURBER....BUT INSTEAD OF GETTING THAT INFORMATION- THE D-M-V
DENIED OUR REQUEST.
WITH MISTER THURBER'S
PERMISSION, HE ALLOWED US TO LISTEN AND RECORD A PHONE CALL HE PLACED TO THE D-M-V WHILE HE TRIED TO REQUEST A HEARING ABOUT HIS CASE SO THAT HE DOESN'T HA TO CONTINUE PAYING FOR A
BREATHALYZER.
"THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN DO BECAUSE THAT'S BEEN SO LONG AGO".
YOU HEARD RIGHT---A D-M-V CALL CENTER EMPLOYEE TOLD THURBER THEY CAN'T DO ANYTHING TO HELP HIM...
"THAT'S HOW I'VE BEEN PRETTY MUCH TREATED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE TING WITH THEM.
THEY JUST DON'T CARE.
THEY DON'T WANT TO KNOW THE TRUTH.
THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT THE TRUTH SO THAT'S MY FRUSTRATION.." DESPITE THIS D-U-I CASE BEING
TOSSED OUT OF COURT--- MISTER THURBER HAD TO PAY 95 DOLLARS TO GET HIS LICENSE BACK, A $73 MONITORING FEE, A 25 DOLLAR ADMINISTRATIVE FEE, AND A $165 PAYMENT HE'LL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR
MAKING EVERY TWO MONTHS FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS.
THE D-M-V STILL DECLINING TO COMMENT ON THE CASE BUT WE'LL KEEP PRESSING FOR ANSWERS.
WATCHING OUT FOR YOU, ER, N5I.
RATTLESNAKES