Richmond and his young son were injured when their vehicle collided with a tree, leading to an emergency hospital visit for Richmond due to a "suspected serious injury." However, despite the initial police report noting that Richmond was "in a dazed, disoriented state" and exhibited slurred speech, no alcohol test or traffic citation was issued, as The Times-Picayune and WWL-TV reported.
The police report suggested that the lack of punitive measures was due to Richmond's medical condition and a statement made by his son, a passenger in the car at the time of the crash. The younger Richmond informed the officers on the scene that their vehicle veered off the road to avoid an orange Corvette, a claim which remains uncorroborated as no evidence of such a vehicle was found at the scene.
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This incident has prompted commentary from former New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) officer Anthony Radosti, who voiced concern to The Times-Picayune and WWL-TV about the decision to forgo a citation. "He's using a debunked statement to justify not writing a citation," Radosti claimed, suggesting that the testimony of Richmond's son was utilized as an excuse for the lack of citation.
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The responding officer's justification for not administering an alcohol test was that he did not detect any scent of alcohol on Richmond, despite his reportedly disoriented state. Former Covington Police Department Chief Tim Lentz spoke out regarding handling incidents involving high-profile politicians, such as this one. He told reporters about a practice colloquially called "APEs," or "acute political emergencies," suggesting that these incidents require a nuanced approach to avoid potential mistakes.
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In response to the growing questions surrounding the accident, the NOPD released a formal statement. "On April 23, 2023, the NOPD responded to a single-vehicle crash with injury at the intersection of North Claiborne Avenue and Lafitte Street," the statement began. Officer Mark Miranda, the responding officer, was quoted in the report, stating that he "did not detect an odor of alcoholic beverage emanating from the driver. Therefore, there was no reasonable suspicion of intoxication nor probable cause to conduct tests for impairment."
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The department further explained that the injured driver was receiving emergency medical attention at the time, thus suggesting that the issuance of a citation would have been at the officer's discretion, considering the initial investigation's findings. Given that this was a single-vehicle crash and considering the driver's medical condition and the passenger's statement, the NOPD stated that "no citations were issued."
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Former NOPD superintendent Ronal Serpas told the Nola news outlet that while Officer Miranda may not have violated any procedures, it would be prudent to investigate to confirm the incident's proper handling.
Cedric Richmond, while not responding directly to inquiries from Fox News Digital, told WDSU in a phone interview, "I'm fine, my son is fine, and the police report speaks for itself." Richmond, who also served as a congressman representing New Orleans, appears to trust the event's official narrative as it stands.
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