If Charlie Sheen did in fact get the police escort from the airport to his D.C. show Tuesday night as he described on Twitter, the escort broke policy in several ways, according Metropolitan Police Chief Cathy Lanier.
Sheen was running about an hour late flying in to Dulles International Airport after a custody hearing in California. On his way from the airport to DAR Constitution Hall for his D.C. “Violent Torpedo of Truth” tour date, he tweeted that his police escort was like a woman was being driven to a hospital to deliver a baby. He included a picture of a police car with flashing lights.
Sheen also mentioned the high-speed escort on stage at DAR, Samy K of Hot 99.5’s Kane Show told NBC Washington’s Chris Gordon.
It was a reimbursable detail conducted by the Special Operations Division, but if Sheen’s story is accurate, the detail didn't follow department policy, according to Lanier. Sheen’s tardiness did not constitute an emergency, so police lights shouldn’t have been activated. Since the airport’s out in Virginia, D.C. police shouldn’t have been there without a partner agency in the jurisdiction. And proper protocol for getting reimbursable detail approved was not followed, Lanier said.
Generally, police vehicles are used for escort duty only for the president, vice president and visiting heads of state. Sheen doesn’t qualify. Other requests can be reviewed on a case-by-case basis but must be approved by an assistant chief, Lanier said.
Internal Affairs is investigating Sheen’s escort.
