Officer dead after Bush's cousin, a Judge, hits him with a car

**Terminator** · 10-23-06, 04:48 PM

NEW HAVEN, Conn. --A popular city police officer died Saturday, four days after being struck by a sport utility vehicle driven by a federal judge who is a cousin of former President Bush, New Haven's mayor said.

Officer Dan Picagli, a 17-year veteran of the force, was hit while working an extra-duty job directing traffic in the rain Tuesday night in a dimly lit section of Chapel Street.

"Officer Picagli was more than a cop," New Haven Mayor John DeStefano said in a written statement Saturday. "He was someone who brought people together, who created a sense of community. He was a life enhancer to all with whom he came in contact. More than any memorial, his basic decency will keep his memory vibrant in our city."

Picagli was wearing a black rain coat and a reflective vest when he was struck.

The driver of the SUV that hit Picagli is John M. Walker Jr., a senior judge on the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York, who lives in Connecticut and maintains court chambers in New Haven. He was leaving work when the accident happened, police said.

Walker, a 1962 Yale graduate, was appointed to the federal bench by President Reagan in 1985. He was appointed to the 2nd Circuit in 1989 by his cousin, former President George H.W. Bush.

No charges have been filed.

New Haven police chief Francisco Ortiz said a long investigation will be required to determine what happened, but police did not feel it was necessary to test Walker for drugs or alcohol. Walker stopped his vehicle immediately after the accident, Ortiz said.

Walker, 65, voluntarily stepped down as chief judge Oct. 1 and took the status of senior judge, said spokeswoman Karen Milton, circuit executive for the appeals court.

**conalabu** · 10-23-06, 04:54 PM

And nothing will happen.

**Ducky** · 10-23-06, 04:55 PM

RIP Officer Picagli.

As to the rest.... the judge was driving HUA at best.

**Detective7653** · 10-23-06, 04:56 PM

If it was an accident it was an accident. Blood should have been taken though just to rule out drugs or alcohol.

**OFK** · 10-23-06, 06:53 PM

Originally Posted by Detective7653

If it was an accident it was an accident. Blood should have been taken though just to rule out drugs or alcohol.

Yeah, sadly accidents DO happen, and can to anyone, but someone is always wanting to make it into something much more.

CopsRCool302 · 10-23-06, 07:19 PM

R.i.p

**Norm357** · 10-23-06, 07:56 PM

Waiting on the left to start blaming Bush.

**OFK** · 10-23-06, 08:14 PM

Originally Posted by Norm357

Waiting on the left to start blaming Bush.

Yeah, they'll try and link this with Laura's accident in 1963, find another incident from 50 years ago involving a tenth step cousin and twist it around as if the entire family gets away with crashing into people and even killing them..

**Virginian** · 10-23-06, 09:06 PM

Originally Posted by OFK

Yeah, they'll try and link this with Laura's accident in 1963, find another incident from 50 years ago involving a tenth step cousin and twist it around as if the entire family gets away with crashing into people and even killing them..

Exactly, and while everyone's complaining about how the family gets preferential treatment, a thousand other people are being run down by drunks and no one bats an eye. Just like everyone calling Bush stupid because it's the popular thing to do, when half the people pointing that finger barely made it out of grade school.

**TwanimusPrime** · 10-23-06, 09:12 PM

Point 1

I wasn't there, but I'm gonna stick up for the cops not doing blood screens. I've done enough DUIs, I can tell when someone is drunk. Or at least enough to get a inkiling and think "hmm, maybe I should do a DUI investigation with this guy" Theres a very good chance the officers on scene talked to the guy and could tell he wans't wasted.

And I've heard the "well, they should have just in case" or "just to rule it out" clause. yeah, its that damn "You have to PROVE your innocene" clause that made me take a needle in the arm when I got into an on duty accident. I felt like enough of an ass without anyone getting hurt, then they give me the whole "We're taking you blood to prove you wern't drunk" This guy had to feel horrible about killing someone, then the cops do the whole "we don't think you're drunk, but we're gonna draw your blood just in case" Fuck that. If the officers had no reason to think he was drunk by his demeanor, forget this "just to rule it out" crap. Ive been there, its not fun. The dirt bags we risk our asses to arrest don't have to proove their innocense, why should we or even this Judge.

Point 2

Originally Posted by Norm357

Waiting on the left to start blaming Bush.

Exactly, whos cousin the guy is shouldn't matter. I guarentee you *IF* the investigation was hampered by status, its because he was a Federal judge, not Bush's cousin. I say IF, because I don't know enough about it to say either way, and I doubt it.

To steal a joke from a Mel Brooks classic, might as well have something like this...

President Bush's father's brother's son's nephew's cousin's neice's friend's ex-roomate gets in car crah....

Its about as relevant.

Bottom line is, the only thing that really matters in this story is that a officer was taken away from his family. Thats the story, who the status person was who did it is meaningless.