Last night, word broke out that firefighters Warren Payne and Paul Cahill, who perished in a blaze at the Tai Ho Restaurant, had drugs and/or alcohol in their system. This morning, many citizens are expressing outrage at the smear on their memories on the local news.
Several outlets are reporting that Warren Payne had cocaine in his system, and Paul Cahill was legally intoxicated. However, the report comes from, in the Globe's words, "A source who was briefed by a person with knowledge of the autopsies."
That sounds like a game of telephone. The news is twice removed. Now, if it is true, then the press has an absolute right to release it, and the press also has an absolute right to protect their sources. But if it is wrong or there's any question, then perhaps someone should have sat on it until it was airtight. A commenter on Universal Hub who knew Payne is already coming out saying that the results are bullshit.
The second Bostonist heard the news, the first thought that emerged was, "Did this come from the State Medical Examiner's Office?" Because, as we well know, they've had a few boo-boos and bungles in the past. They need to make sure that files--or bodies--didn't get mixed up along the way.
If it's true, it's true, but based on the description of events at the time of the fire, it wouldn't have mattered if Payne and Cahill were as sober as church mice. The real problem is that the Tai Ho Restaurant was coated in grease that sent that fire raging into the ceiling.
Adding another dimension to the debate is the fact that a judge stopped WHDH, who apparently had the news first, from printing it, whereas every other outlet went for it. Dan Kennedy is pissed. WHDH's website doesn't mention the story at all.
add to digg
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
