Delahunt Goes the Full Sgt. Schultz

It took Massachusetts Democrat William Delahuint 10 days to get his story together as to why Dr. Amy Bishop was released after a phone call from his office and this is the best he can come up with?

U.S. Rep. William Delahunt, the former district attorney whose office investigated the fatal 1986 shooting of Seth Bishop by his sister Amy, said Monday he does not feel his office “bears any responsibility” for Bishop being freed without charges.

In a telephone interview with the Patriot Ledger, the Quincy Democrat said State Police Trooper Brian Howe correctly concluded that Amy Bishop shot and killed her 18-year-old brother, Seth, by accident. But Delahunt said he has “very serious concerns” that Braintree police never alerted Howe or his prosecutors that, after the shooting, Amy Bishop fled with a loaded shotgun and allegedly tried to steal a getaway car from two men at gunpoint. He also raised concerns that Howe and the district attorney’s office were not told that Bishop was arrested after a brief armed standoff with police.

“We never had that information,” said Delahunt, who was Norfolk County district attorney at the time.

Because the shooting was ruled an accident, Delahunt said, the case was never brought to his attention.

That said, Delahunt called it “inexplicable” that Braintree police did not charge Bishop for assault with a dangerous weapon or other lesser charges.

So Delahunt is throwing the Braintree police under the bus, but last week the chief recalled interference in the case.

Frazier, based upon the recollections of an officer involved in the case, said the girl had fought with her brother in the 1986 incident, then shot him with a shotgun and fled down the street with the rifle in her hand, at one point pointing it at a car to try to get it to stop. Later, at the station, Frazier said, the booking process was abruptly stopped and the young woman released.

Frazier said the release of Bishop had "frustrated" officers at the time and called the handling of the case "troubling."

"The release of Ms. Bishop did not sit well with the police officers and I can assure you that this would not happen in this day and age," Frazier said.

Frazier points the finger at former chief John Polio.

Braintree Police Chief Paul Frazier has said former Braintree Police Chief John Polio derailed the investigation, which Polio has steadfastly denied.

Polio, now 87, didn't exactly seem fond of Delahunt back in the 80s.

In an extended interview with The Patriot Ledger in 1984, Polio described himself as a true lawman unafraid to break from good-old-boy traditions. In his career, he had arrested a town tax collector, a state representative and two of his own men – both of whom were jailed for breaking and entering.

Polio openly bemoaned how then-Attorney General Francis Bellotti ran his office, saying, “There is so much politics, it’s pathetic.” He called Delahunt, the district attorney at the time, “a politician ... a hanger-on,” saying, “If he has a political future, it’s a sad commentary on our society.”

I wonder if the governor will take Delahunt's statement today at face value and back off his planned investigation?

Update: Polio reacts to Delahunt.

I don’t find the State Police recent findings nor Congressman Delahunt’s statement made this day to be credible—only political. It should be noted that, in all other investigations that the Braintree Police Department turned over to the Norfolk County District Attorney’s office, we provided them copies of all of our department’s reports and all physical evidence. Why would this case be any different?

Read the rest of it.

Thanks to Instapundit for the link.