Our Chicago DUI Attorneys have been following the story of Officer Richard Bolling, the Chicago Police Officer accused of DUI and hit-and-run in the death of Trenton Booker this past weekend.

Chicago Policeman Charged With DUI In Hit-And-Run Accident

.079 Breathalyzer result for Chicago Cop Charged With DUI

Today Mayor Richard Daley spoke out about allegations that Bolling was receiving preferential treatment.

Full story follows below:

Favoritism shown in cop’s DUI arrest?

Mayor Richard Daley said today the police department “will have to” investigate whether any favoritism was shown a Chicago police officer charged in last week’s hit-and-run death of a 13-year-old boy.

Asked if Officer Richard Bolling received preferential treatment, Daley replied, “I hope not. I know the superintendent will be looking at that as quickly as possible … They will have to investigate that, definitely.”

To this date, the police department has refused to identify Bolling as the off-duty officer who allegedly was behind the wheel of the speeding car that struck and killed Trenton Booker.

The officer’s identification was supplied by the Cook County state’s attorney’s office after he was charged with aggravated DUI, leaving the scene of an accident where a death or injury occurred and reckless homicide.

There are also questions why the department waited four hours after the accident before administering a Breathalyzer test, and waited another eight hours before drawing blood to test Bolling’s alcohol level.

Bolling is a 17-year veteran assigned to the narcotics and gang investigation section. His father is Douglas Bolling, a former Wentworth Area commander, a former Harrison district commander and a former tactical officer.

In refusing to identify Bolling, a police spokeswoman on Saturday said in a news release that the department was “unable” to disclose his name “per union contract.”

But police sources said there is no contract provision that bars disclosing the name of an officer who has been charged with a crime, and one source lamented the impression of favoritism the action made.

The accident occurred around 1:30 a.m. Friday, but Bolling was not given a Breathalyzer until 5:25 a.m., according to the state’s attorney’s office. That test showed he had a blood-alcohol level of 0.079 — just under the 0.08 legal limit.

Bolling was not taken to a hospital for a blood test until 1:30 p.m., according to a source familiar with the case.

The source worried that the delayed test results could make it difficult for prosecutors to sustain the drunk driving charge.

But Sally Daly, a spokeswoman for the state’s attorney’s office, said prosecutors felt they still have a strong case. “We believe the evidence will show that the officer was impaired at the time of the crash, based on testimony of witnesses who observed him drinking at a bar earlier in the evening and the open alcohol in his car,” she said.

At Bolling’s bond hearing on Sunday, Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney John Dillon said that “according to a witness, [Bolling] was never observed in the lounge without a drink in his hand.”

A source said Bolling had been at the bar for 2 to 2½ hours before the accident.

A police arrest report on Bolling, however, said that “the standard field sobriety tests” indicated the officer “did not appear to be impaired.” The report said officers found an open beer bottle in his car and that officers “detected a moderate odor of an alcohol beverage on the subject’s breath.”

During a court hearing today, Trenton’s father Terrence Booker was asked if he thought police were trying to protect their own.

“Of course. Code Blue,” he said. “I expect nothing but that, you know. That’s why we have to do what we have to do for Trenton. It’s all about my son. We’re doing this for Trenton, for justice. That’s why we’re going to be here as much as we can. It’s going to be a long trial, so we got to stay strong. We’re a strong family, so we’re okay.”

He and other relatives showed up at court at 7:45 a.m. today because they missed an initial hearing on Sunday.

Bolling’s bond hearing Sunday was held at 11 a.m., when no reporters or family members of the dead boy were present. Bond hearings — where prosecutors detail charges against the accused — are held at noon during the week but the starting time on weekends was changed recently to 11 a.m.

“I waited three hours for that one second look, but I just wanted him [Bolling] to know that my son got family and we love him,” Booker said. “So it was worth it. I saw him and he saw us.

“I was shaking,” he added. “I was shaking because I’m looking at the man that killed my son.”

Family members said Booker had sneaked out of his house to ride his bicycle with friends on Ashland Avenue near 81st Street.

Witnesses said Bolling went through the intersection at a high rate of speed and hit the boy on his bicycle. Bolling then continued without stopping and witnesses never saw Bolling apply the brakes, according to prosecutors. The boy’s body landed under a parked SUV on the corner of 81st and Ashland.

Bolling was arrested two minutes later after two Chicago police officers saw a car going the wrong way on a one-way street. They also noticed the car had damage to the bumper and windshield, according to the arrest report.

Bolling has been stripped of his police powers.

At the hearing this morning, Bolling’s bail was continued at $2 million. His lawyer said the family so far had been unable to come up with the necessary 10 percent. Bolling’s next court appearance was set for June 1.

– Dan Mihalopoulos, Carlos Sadovi and Matt Walberg

The Law Offices of James E. Fabbrini have years of experience protecting people charged with DUI. From first time DUI offenders to felony DUI, our Chicago DUI lawyers have successfully fought DUI charges in Chicago and the surrounding areas.

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