2 years ago
Erie County District Attorney Frank Clark says Buffalo Bills' owner will not be subpoenaed to testify in the on-going investigation involving Marshawn Lynch' SUV.
The Buffalo Police Department is now officially playing hardball with the Buffalo Bills in the hit-and-run case involving Marshawn Lynch's S.U.V.
A police source had told Channel 2 News on Thursday team owner Ralph Wilson, and General Manager Russ Brandon will be subpoenaed to testify in front of a Grand Jury in the case.
But, Erie County District Attorney Frank Clark says Buffalo Bills' owner will not be subpoenaed to testify in the on-going investigation involving Marshawn Lynch's SUV.
In addition, three of Lynch's teammates and the team Chief of Security, Chris Clark, were subpoenaed Thursday afternoon.
The Grand Jury is expected to meet on June 20th.
The legal moves follow four Buffalo Police officers spending a little over an hour at One Bills Drive in Orchard Park Thursday, as they continued to investigate the hit-and-run accident.
Buffalo Police Spokesperson Mike DeGeorge inferred the Bills were less than cooperative with police in their effort to get to the bottom of things.
"Investigators say that when they asked to talk to Bills management they were in essence told to talk with the team's corporate attorney," DeGeorge said.
Late Thursday the Bills issued a statement in response, calling "completely untrue" any suggestion that the team had been less than cooperative with investigators.
Through their statement, the Bills further claimed that team officials "fully cooperated with the authorities by assisting them in setting up the interviews with the several players they requested".
The statement went on to say that "It is the view of the Buffalo Bills organization that the investigation is not a team matter, but rather a personal matter".
Earlier on Thursday, as officers were leaving the stadium, they were asked how the meeting went. One officer shook his head and said, "not good."
Lynch's attorney sat down with the Erie County District Attorney's office Monday, but he gave no information about the hit-and-run accident involving Lynch's vehicle last weekend.
Attorney Michael Caffery met with the D.A.'s office for less than 15 minutes. Erie County District Attorney Frank Clark says Caffery wanted a precondition to saying anything about the case; Clark wasn't willing to make any sort of deal. At that point, Caffery told Clark it was in Lynch's best interest to remain silent.
"At some point we may give a statement," Caffery told the media afterwards. "At this point we're early on in the case, and I'm here to protect my client's rights as I would in any case, so we're just gonna have to go forward."
"You don't make the deal and then get the information," said Clark. "You give the information and then you make the deal. So apparently our idea of how that scenario plays out is different."
Clark also said today he wasn't sure the investigation would wrap up in the next few days, mainly because he's waiting to hear from the passengers in Lynch's vehicle during the hit-and-run. If they refuse to speak up, Clark said, they may be called to speak in front of a grand jury.
Lynch has been at Bills practices for most of the last two weeks. He missed on practice and told the Associated Press it was because he had Lasik eye surgery.
Caffery has met twice with investigators. He previously spoke with the lead prosecutor and two investigators, but he did not discuss any details of the case. He simply came to apologize for not getting in touch sooner, then scheduled to meet with investigators Monday -- without his client.
Clark told 2 On Your Side Friday he is conducting the investigation under the assumption that Lynch was driving the vehicle.
Two sources involved in the investigation tell 2 On Your Side that a witness has placed Bills Running Back Marshawn Lynch behind the wheel of his S.U.V. at the time of a hit-and-run accident Saturday May 31st.
A source, who asked not to be identified, tells Channel 2 that investigators have four witnesses that say Lynch was driving.
Frank Clark would not confirm that information, but did say that investigators continue to follow a number of leads as they build their case. He also says those involved in the probe are looking into the possibility other Bills players were inside the vehicle involved in the hit and run.
2 On Your Side's Adam Benigni spoke to Lynch's attorney Michael Caffery Thursday. He wouldn't comment when asked if Lynch was driving the car.
The SUV remains in the custody of the Buffalo Police as part of the investigation. "The car is not going anywhere," says DeGeorge.
The accident happened at 3:30am at the corner of Chippewa and Delaware in Buffalo.
According to the police report, the SUV was driving westbound on Chippewa and turning left to go south on Delaware when it hit a female pedestrian who was attempting to cross the street. Police confirm there was front end damage to the car, and the report says a broken off piece of the car was recovered at the scene and turned in as evidence.
Police say their security cameras at that intersection were operational at the time. But the spokesman said if the accident was caught on video, it would not yet be released because it would be part of an ongoing investigation.
Several staff members of a nearby bar tell us they saw a woman lying in the street for approximately 15 minutes, but they say the woman eventually got up under her own power and walked to an awaiting ambulance.
The female pedestrian who was struck has been treated and released from Buffalo General Hospital.
The Bills issued a a brief statement last Monday:
"At this point in time, we want to let the process play out before we make any comments relative to the situation as we don't know all the facts...The investigation is ongoing by the Buffalo Police Department and all comments relative to Marshawn are being handled by his attorney, Michael Caffery. Anything beyond that is speculation and we will refrain from that."
A source tells 2-On-Your-Side the vehicle was recovered by Buffalo police from Lynch's home.
His agent did not return 2 On Your Side's calls.
Lynch was the Bills 2007 First Round Draft pick out of California.
WGRZ-TV/wgrz.com
