6 cops suspended for mishandling crash involving fire deputy

CHICAGO (AP) - Six Chicago police officers have been suspended in an investigation of favorable treatment for a fire department official who crashed his city-owned SUV.

Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson suspended the officers for "improper processing and reporting procedures."

Deputy Fire Commissioner John McNicholas had a blood-alcohol level nearly twice the legal limit nearly four hours after the crash last April. Officials say officers were at the crash scene for about two hours but never administered a field sobriety test. The test was given to McNicholas by the Chicago Fire Department's Internal Affairs Bureau.

Police only issued a traffic ticket to McNicholas for failing to reduce speed. But in June, he was ticketed for drunken driving after prosecutors declined to charge him with a felony. McNicholas resigned from the fire department.