District of Columbia records of police released Wednesday show Bill Gates and rapper Jay - Z are among the celebrities who have received similar officers police escorts a condition the month last actor Charlie Sheen, revealing a more widespread use of a practice primarily intended for senior government officials and foreign dignitaries.
Documents obtained by the Associated Press through a Freedom of Information Act request show dozens of escorts were included in the last year and a half, including artists, celebrities, college and pro athletes and teams owners sometimes. The Department is regularly paid for the escorts, in amounts ranging from several hundred dollars, in one case, $ 80,000 the issuance of invoices.
Last month, head of the Police D.C. Cathy Lanier said that escorts were usually reserved for the President, Vice-President and visits of Heads of State and the Mayor, with exceptions made on a case by case.
Lanier told Associated Press on Wednesday, police Protocol also allows escorts when there is a concern of public security and crowd control. She said the celebrity escorts were "all be looked at based on what has happened in the case of Charlie Sheen", but would not say categorically that they were in fact irregular, and that is a number of reasons why celebrities or not dignitaries might be entitled to an escort.
FILE - in this photo of file on April 3, 2011, actor Charlie Sheen waves to fans as he left the Chicago Theatre in Chicago. Police in the district of Columbia in April gave Sheen an escort with sirens and flashing lights, for performance at DAR Constitution Hall. Chief Cathy Lanier said at the time that the violated Protocol of the Department and that escorts escort are not intended to celebrities. District of Columbia police records show Bill Gates, Jay - Z and other celebrities have been similar to that of escort officers gave actor Charlie Sheen, conflict with initial police statements that escorts are reserved for the President, the Vice-President and the heads of State visits. (AP Photo/Brian Kersey, file) Close"There are legitimate reasons for many of these escorts," Lanier told the AP, adding, "it may be." I just don't know. ?
Division special operations agents April 19 provided Sheen one escort, with sirens and flashing lights, at the airport for Dulles International - 30 miles from downtown Washington - for performance at DAR Constitution Hall in the city. Escort attracted attention after Sheen wrote enthusiastically on Twitter, view even a photograph of a speed indicator registering approximately 80 mi/h: "by car with the Police escort at the front and the back!" Conduct as someone about to deliver a baby! COP car lights (hash) Spinning! ?
The district reimbursed Sheen concert promoter $445.68, records show.
In a statement on April 22, Lanier said that the escort Sheen seem to violate the Protocol of the Ministry. She also said that these escorts were not intended for celebrities. She said City police escorts were not supposed to light flashing lights and sirens in non-emergency situations and are generally not allowed to travel in other jurisdictions without the assistance of the police services in these communities.
Further records show that several of the escorts of the celebrity arose or ending at Dulles or Ronald Reagan National Airport, both in Northern Virginia.
An investigation continues whether escorts were improper and how they came to be approved.
"If it is not a legitimate reason, then who made the decision to allow him and they follow the Protocol appropriate for authorizing?", she said.
The escort of the doors - co-founder of Microsoft, businessman, billionaire and philanthropist - was provided on 8 November 2010 convention center the city of to Dulles, according to an invoice for $445.68. It was Washington that day, speaking at a forum of health. Gates has fully repaid district, said Steve Krystek, Director of guarantees PFC, which ensures the logistics coordination for the travel of Bill Gates. He refused to comment on any aspect of the escort.
