City Police Officer Wrecks Tactical Van

On Monday night, the Hyattsville City Council voted unanimously to appropriate $9,600 to purchase a used truck for the Hyattsville City Police Department's Hard Entry and Tactics (HEAT) team.

Why?

Because the previous vehicle used by the city's HEAT team was totaled in a wreck which occurred in mid-April. 

According to a brief statement issued by the city of Hyattsville, on Friday, April 13, a Hyattsville city police officer was involved in a wreck on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway near Greenbelt. 

The city vehicle involved in the wreck was a 2003 Ford E-350 van valued at roughly $8,600. 

During the meeting, Holland said that the van served important tactical role for the HEAT team, allowing police to approach a location and rapidly deploy multiple officers from a single vehicle. The van was also used to store police equipment. 

According to a brief interview with Hyattsville Police Chief Doug Holland during Monday's city council meeting, the van was not in service or on patrol when the wreck occurred.

The officer involved in the incident has been suspended and an administrative investigation into the wreck is underway. 

Hyattsville officials have declined to identify the officer involved. 

The wreck was investigated by the United States Park Police Department. Additional information about the incident was not immediately available from park police.