Sanders-shooting e-mail raises concern

AUSTIN (KXAN) - An e-mail from an Internal Affairs investigator in a police shooting on the city's East side is raising questions about bias in the investigation.

Two weeks ago, Austin police chief Art Acevedo claimed there may have been some bias during the Nathaniel Sanders case follow-up investigation Sanders was shot by an Austin police officer on May 11.

"There is one disturbing fact that we have found in terms of potential bias, and we will conduct an investigation into that employee," Acevedo said. "Internal Affairs is the gatekeeper to this department and this organization... We expect Internal Affairs to remain above reproach."

On Friday, the public found out what Acevedo meant. An e-mail from an Internal Affairs investigator leaked and is raising questions about bias in the report.

Detective Chris Dunn wrote in an e-mail: "We can make [them] a causation of the entire event. I am so smart I scare myself. Thoughts?"

Dunn's attorney said his client meant no harm and was not siding with one side or another.

"He believes he was thinking in terms of doing a complete investigation," said Tom Stribling, Dunn's attorney. "I think the detectives felt it was equally important to know the background and history of the individuals who were involved."

Austin Police Department top officials confirmed there were claims of bias during the investigation and admit Det. Dunn is the only person being investigated currently.

"That is why we have formed a special inquiry team," said assistant chief David Carter. "That answers directly to the chief of staff to go over that report for gaps or information that does suggest bias."

Despite the leak of the e-mail, Carter said the system is working and the department will investigate anyone or anything that poses a problem. Both Carter and Stribling said no one should jump to conclusions based on one e-mail exchange.

This question of bias was raised when KeyPoint Government Solutions released a report on APD officer Leonardo Quintana's shooting of Sanders in May 2009, and on the investigations that followed. The report said parts of the APD investigation were biased towards officers and that there were "substantive deficiencies." The independent review also cited "significant deficiencies in the quality of documentation relating to training of APD officers."