Cop lets handcuffed man drown to death instead of saving him. Gets charged with boating-violation.

[DetlefK]

http://www.thedailybeast.com/handcuffed-man-drowns-cop-pleads-guilty-to-boating-violation

Brandon Ellingson and his friends were celebrating the start of summer break with a boating trip in Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks in May 2014. But as he and his friends were leaving the dock one afternoon, trooper Anthony Piercy stopped them and accused Ellingson, 20, of boating while intoxicated. Piercy handcuffed Ellingson, placed him in the back of his Water Patrol boat, and sped off. The boat was traveling 46 miles per hour when it hit a wave, flinging the handcuffed young man into the water. Piercy called his supervisor an hour after Ellingson drowned.

Piercy faces a maximum six months in prison and a $500 fine for Ellingson’s death. Ellingson’s family says it’s the closest they’ll get to justice.

...

After Piercy cuffed Ellingson, he tried pulling a life vest over Ellingson’s cuffed arms, instead of choosing another available life vest that allowed a person to wear handcuffs.

...

Forgetting to fasten a buckle between Ellingson’s legs, Piercy “shoved a life jacket over his head and took off like a bat out of hell,” Craig said. The misapplied life vest fell off as Ellingson hit the water.

...

The women told investigators that they screamed at Piercy to extend a pole to Ellingson, which he did “but he knew he was handcuffed,” Craig said.

Piercy did not call a supervisor for help until an hour after Ellingson drowned. Footage from his boat shows Piercy having a chillingly casual conversation with his colleague, referring to Ellingson in profane terms.

“I’m banged up a little bit, but I’m alright. I don’t know if I’m sore from treading water with the bastard,” Piercy told a supervisor of the dead 20-year-old.

...

Morgan County’s population hovers just above 20,000. During an inquest jury on the cause of Ellingson’s death, a juror told the Kansas City Star that the criminal trial should be held outside Morgan County because the local courts ran on a “good ole boy system.” And Piercy was reportedly well-known in the small community.

[padah513]

1. ...

God I pray for humanity.

[Duppers]

2. Forgive me for thinking

the wrong man died.

Do police departments applications now require a box that says "soulless"?

This is beyond cruel. But because these subhumans carry badges, they are not punished.

[oberliner]

5. The family did get nine million dollars

For what that is worth.

[Scarsdale]

11. Money can not

make up for the loss of a child, no matter what the age. Trust me on that.

[oberliner]

12. No, indeed

But at least there is some recognition that this was wrong and some payment for the family.

[mythology]

17. Unfortunately that money doesn't come from the cops

I think it would help if these sort of settlements came out of police money. Instead it's so far removed that coupled with the lack of internal discipline and the lack of effective legal oversight, cops like this guy aren't incentivized to do the right thing, and other cops aren't incentivized to promote a better moral practice.

[Ilsa]

15. PET scan of the brain. They are looking for

dark areas (lower activity) in the regions that process feelings of empathy, guilt, etc.

[Chemisse]

3. It's just that attitude (calling the dead man a 'bastard') that causes this to happen.

Cops need to drop the 'us vs them' mentality.

Sure, drinking while boating is bad, but that doesn't make the young man a 'bastard' whose death is not a big deal.

In my experience, small-town police are less likely to exhibit this behavior. The cop would know the kid's family, and maybe even the kid himself, from school programs or when he reported his stolen bike, etc. That makes a huge difference in attitude.

In my small town in NH, I was pulled over twice by the town's police chief, for speeding on a back road. Both times, he talked about the dangers to people walking or biking, and left me with a verbal warning and feeling pretty guilty. I slowed down on that road, not because I was afraid of a ticket, but because I didn't want to disappoint this officer, who only wanted to enforce the speed limit because he cared about the people of the town.

So community policing would be one way to try and change this corrosive attitude, but there are plenty of other ways. We were on our way to doing something about police training in this nation, thanks to the rash of well-publicized deaths of unarmed blacks at the hands of police. But then the Republicans gained full power, and anything that's good or right has come to a screeching halt.

[oberliner]

4. This took place in a very small town

In fact, the article specifically mentions that Piercy being a small town officer is part of the problem with the trial.

[Chemisse]

6. Oh damn - I didn't click into the article - lol! But I stand by my stance.

I see he was a state trooper, rather than a local cop, although he seemed to have a lot of local connections that hooked him into a 'good ole boy' network within the legal system.

But it's different being a state cop vs a town cop. I've had many negative interactions with the state police in NH. They are part of a big organization that generally values 'professionalism' and some degree of militarization, all of which feeds into the us vs them mentality.

[oberliner]

7. Take a look at this excerpt

Piercy’s criminal case presented the Ellingsons with a different challenge: small-town Missouri law.

Morgan County’s population hovers just above 20,000. During an inquest jury on the cause of Ellingson’s death, a juror told the Kansas City Star that the criminal trial should be held outside Morgan County because the local courts ran on a “good ole boy system.” And Piercy was reportedly well-known in the small community.

[Chemisse]

8. Yeah, I just did, and changed my post accordingly.

I think the legal system in small towns is heavily in favor of the officers when wrongdoing is alleged. It doesn't even need to be nefarious; They all know each other, from police - court interactions. It's human nature.

But that is different from day-to-day policing in a small community be a town cop (or in a large community by a neighborhood cop), which facilitates empathy and cooperation with the people being served.

[Duppers]

16. Very good points.

Something must be done.

[madokie]

9. Burn his ass

no two ways about it, the man killed the kid and should be charged, tried and when found guilty incarcerated to the max

[downeastdaniel]

13. I agree totally.

[DFW]

10. Maybe some legal expert can explain to me

Why this dirty cop is not up for manslaughter or at the very least negligent homicide

Other than the dirty cop's local connections, that is.

[Solly Mack]

14. 6 months?

Fucked up.