Onyango Obama gets Framingham police officer’s driving history as he challenges drunken driving arrest

By Maria Cramer, Globe Staff

FRAMINGHAM -- The attorney for Onyango Obama, the uncle of President Obama, today told a judge that he now has the driving history of the Framingham police officer who arrested Onyango Obama for drunk driving last year -- records he’d planned to ask for during a court hearing today.

P. Scott Bratton instead told District Court Judge Robert V. Greco that Framingham’s town counsel office has provided him with copies of records detailing Officer Val Krishtal’s driving history while on duty.

The move by the town ended a need for an order from Greco, or any other judge, requiring Framingham police to provide the Obama defense team with Krishtal’s driving history.

Obama was in court today, but declined to speak with reporters. In brief comments after the short hearing, Bratton offered a broad explanation of why he wants to know about the arrest officer’s driving record.

“We want to review the record and see if there is a pattern of conduct of bad driving behavior on the part of the arresting officer,’’ he said. “OK? Thank you very much.”

Krishtal was injured last November when he crashed his cruiser while responding to reports of gunshots, according to court records.

Obama was arrested last Aug. 24 after he allegedly ran through a stop sign and nearly crashed into Krishtal’s cruiser.

Obama, a Framingham resident, faces charges of operating under the influence of alcohol, failure to yield, and negligent operation of a motor vehicle. A chemical breath test taken at the police station showed Obama’s blood-alcohol level to be 0.14 percent, according to a report filed by the Framingham Police Department. The legal limit is .08.

Bratton has also filed paperwork seeking to suppress the chemical breath test and is challenging the legality of Obama’s arrest. A hearing on those issues is now set for March 1.