INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM

 

To: Sheriff Charles Laver From: Sergeant Hal Lindemann, internal affairs division

Sept. 29, 1997

 

Sheriff Lamar,

 

As requested, here is the executive summary of the upcoming internal affairs division report on the events leading up to the Sept. 20 incident. The full report will be available next week.

 

[signed]

 

Sgt. H. Lindemann

 

Attachments

Attached Page 1 of 1

Summary

 

This report details events leading up to the motor vehicle accident on 09/20/97, in which Deputy Schiff was killed and Deputy Phillips was seriously injured. Suspected rapist Anthony Phelps (# W-12897) and suspected murderer Edward Pierce (# W-12797), who were being trasported in the van, escaped custody after the accident. Phelps was found dead 09/27/97, in Amite, La.; Pierce has not been sighted.

 

The report finds that the sheriff's department is responsible for two errors committed on the day of the accident:

 

(1) Standard procedure dictates that a vehicle transporting suspected criminals must be accompanied by a second support vehicle, usually a squad car. On Sept. 20, the department was short-staffed, due to a number of deputies being at a football game at the University. Therefore, a second vehicle did not accompany the van.

 

(2) Deputy Schiff elected to drive the vehicle, despite the fact that he was reportedly sleep-deprived and despite the fact that Phillips was reportedly "perfectly capable" of driving that day.