Stamford records clerks aid in arrest
STAMFORD—Two civilian clerks in the Stamford Police Department’s record room are being congratulated for helping their police boss arrest a Bronx man for driving under the influence after being involved in a head-on collision on Long Ridge Road in November.
Besnik Muriqi, 28, of the Bronx, New York, on Monday came to pick up a report of the three-car accident that occurred on Nov. 30 near the intersection of Hazard Lane at 5:25 p.m., records room Sgt. Chris Weed said.
According to the arrest report, Muriqi was driving a BMW southbound when a witness behind him said he saw the BMW swerve into the northbound lane as if he were trying to pass the car right in front of him. Muriqi’s BMW then crashed head-on with a white SUV traveling in the opposite direction, police said. The BMW then bounced back into the southbound lane and struck a red Alpha Romeo SUV, the accident report said.
Murqi and the driver of the white SUV were both taken to the hospital and a search of Muriqi’s car turned up a small bottle showing he may have been driving under the influence at the time of the crash, according to police.
When receiving a request for the report Monday at about 1:45 p.m., the civilian aide began looking but had a little trouble finding it because of a record-keeping error and enlisted the help of another aide. That aide was able to help find the report, and while reading it discovered that a search warrant had been obtained to determine if charges against Muriqi should be filed.
The aides then found out that a warrant had recently been issued for Muriqi’s arrest. Seeing that, they went back and enlisted Weed’s help to determine whether Muriqi had already been arrested and released.
Weed said he quickly found out the arrest warrant had not been executed and he went out to talk to Muriqi.
“I went out to the lobby and apologized to Mr. Muriqi for it taking so long to find a copy of his accident report,” Weed said. “I then informed him he was under arrest for driving under the influence.”
According to the arrest warrant, obtained by officers John O’Meara and Andrew Czubatyj, the investigators found probable cause to suspect that Muriqi was under the influence of a legally prescribed narcotic when the crash occurred.
He is also charged with second-degree assault with a motor vehicle and was released after signing a promise to appear in court.
Muriqi told Weed he did not think there would be any criminal repercussions because he was not arrested on the night of the accident.
Weed said the aides dealt with the incident very professionally and that it’s a very rare occurrence for an arrest to be made out of the records office.
“Had it not been for those employees going above and beyond their normal course of duty and understanding the bigger picture that they are a part of, that man could have obtained his copy and walked right out the door without arrest,” Weed said.