A West Palm Beach Police officer was promoted to sergeant in a headquarters ceremony tonight despite the fact that an Internal Affairs investigation into his role in a spectacular pre-dawn crash in July has yet to be completed.
Police Officer Art Bullard Jr. was accused by his Riviera Beach neighbors of being drunk when he ploughed into parked cars on his way home at 5 a.m. but wasn’t tested by responding officers.
He could be receiving a $20,000-a-year bump in pay. The median base salary for a sergeant is $80,000, plus overtime and off-duty details.
Through a city spokesman, Chief Delsa Bush said she still is reviewing the I.A. report on Bullard and has yet to sign off on it.
The investigation isn’t considered final, and isn’t available for public review, until after she signs.
“For all intents and purposes,” said spokesman Chase Scott, “it’s done. The chief just wants to review it for administrative violations.”
Despite the promotion he earned through tests and an interview with superiors, Bullard could still receive some form of discipline, Scott said.
That, however, is unlikely. A WPBPD insider who asked not to be named said the report concludes that Bullard fell asleep at the wheel that morning and doesn’t list alcohol as a factor.
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Bullard is the son of WPB Mayor Lois Frankel’s executive assistant, Art Bullard the elder, who has been Frankel’s trusted liaison with black voters and confidante.
Bush, meanwhile, was appointed by Frankel eight years ago. But as Frankel readies to leave office next month, several candidates already announced they’d get rid of Bush if elected.
Back in July, meanwhile, outraged residents of the Seminole Gardens community in Riviera Beach called 911 to report a strange accident.
At the wheel of his Navigator, the 32-year-old Bullard plowed through several of his neighbors’ frontyards, damaging four cars and taking out an electric box. One of the cars was hit so hard that it crashed into a garage door. Another, owned by 20-year-old Jasmine Thomas, was totaled.
“He was apologetic,” she said.
When Riviera Beach cops responded, they refused to grant witnesses’ requests that they administer DUI field tests to Bullard who, residents told Page2Live at the time, appeared to be drunk. After the crash, Bullard walked home and only returned to the scene when the first Riviera Beach cops arrived.
Riviera Beach police didn’t even ticket Bullard until after residents continued calling 911 for police supervisors to check out the scene.
Bullard was charged with leaving the scene of an accident and reckless driving.
Court records show that Nelson Baez, an assistant with the office of State Attorney Mike McAuliffe, declined to prosecute the case. He told the court he probably couldn’t secure a conviction.
Two sources at the time told Page2Live that Bullard’s activities before the accident included an all-you-can-drink bachelor party for another West Palm cop in which the highlights included strippers.
Bullard’s employee file, meanwhile, shows he’s been reprimanded three times since he joined the thin blue line, twice for incidents involving his squad car. In 2008, he received a written reprimand for engaging in a pursuit with someone against whom Bullard had no evidence. In 2007, he backed up in traffic and hit a civilian’s vehicle. He was also reprimanded for transporting a suspect to a hospital without searching him first. The suspect ended up being armed with a .22 Derringer.
In general, Bullard received glowing job evaluations.
It’s hard to say goodbye when you’re having fun!
Don’t expect to see footage of West Palm Beach Mayor Lois Frankel’s traffic stop on the tube. There is none.