According to a report from The Buffalo News, Thomas English—a police lieutenant with the city of Buffalo—drove Patrick Kane, his alleged rape victim, and two other people from SkyBar in downtown Buffalo out to Kane’s home in Hamburg early on August 2, the night of the alleged rape. The News also reports that English is a longtime friend of Kane’s and has worked for him as a driver for five years.
Here’s the News with more details:
Law enforcement sources told The News that Buffalo police are conducting an internal investigation to determine whether English was with Kane at any time he was supposed to be on duty the night of the alleged rape. Authorities said English was scheduled to work a half-shift that night at the police cell block and took a half-shift off on that night as personal leave time. English said he took the entire shift off with personal leave time.
Buffalo police officers are allowed to have second jobs as long as they have the proper paperwork, and a police source told the News that English’s paperwork is “in order.” English has told investigators that he dropped Kane and the three others off then went home. He disputes the testimonies three sources have given The Buffalo News that the alleged victim was urged to Kane’s by her friend, saying instead that, “It was a mutual agreement to go to the house.”
The News reports that up until Thursday, there were photos of English posing with Kane and the Stanley Cup in 2010 on English’s Facebook page. On Twitter, News reporter Tim Graham says one of the pictures shows English drinking from the Stanley Cup while in uniform, which sounds like a description of photos
Photo via Bill Smith/Getty