Copters crash during police chase in Arizona?

picassogone

I saw that this morning on the news and was disgusted that they would try to charge him for murder over it. It was out of his control, I agree.

Alex

Let's say, you and your buddy robbed someone and then you jump in your car and take off. Your buddy was killed in the ensuing police pursuit because you crashed, you get charged with his death. It happened in the commission of a felony and so you are responsible. I don't really see it being his fault, just because no one forced them up in the air and they were not directly involved with the chase. I won't lose any sleep over it if he gets charged however.

hajgora7

Good for you. Good point.

regerugged

I don't agree with you.

andrewdoane

I agree that he should not be held liable. It's all about foreseeability. Police cars crashing? Totally foreseeable. Helicopters? No way. It would be at least a little better if it was a police helicopter, but no way for the news team.

Deep Thought

Had the guy complied with officers and not fled there would have been no need for the pursuit and no accidental crash of copters. He will get the charges for their deaths tacked on to the other charges because it's his actions that led to their death.

A similar case happened in San Diego where people who had just performed a home invasion led police on a high speed chase which led to a police car striking and killing people leaving a shopping center. The robbers caught that vehicular manslaughter charge as well since it was their actions that ultimately led to death.

Tom S

Funny, Gore's son commits two felonies, three misdemeanors, and all he has to do is attend drug treatment to get the charges dismissed.

This guy steals a truck, the news paparazzi follows him, the pilots make an error, and they want to use his as a scapegoat.

Where is the justice here.

DeputyJT

While it was a tragic accident I feel that was a big mistake by the department. If fault is to be blamed it would be on one of the helicopter pilots. Obviously they were flying in to close formation which is short of common sense and stressed in flight school.

Personally I feel it is a wake up call to be aware of what they are doing. Time and time again they get caught up in the action and get tunnel vision resulting in poor choices and no situational awareness.

I watched a segment on the news the other night praising the pilots as heroes? I ask why to the media. There blatant disregard for safety resulted in the inevitable. Thank god they did not go crashing down into urban populace killing numerous folks. All this BS of they navigated to an unpopulated spot is also BS. They helicopters collided in mid air and dropped straight down from point of impact. There was no saving anyone.

It's just a miracle more were not hurt from their incompetence. I have seen, "prime footage" from air chases and video from different angles showing news choppers interfering with police air operations. I'm suprised this has not happened more often and I pray this is a wake up call to change some rules in the air.

Matt D

I believe that the law states that if you commit a felony, any detrimental results that are spawned by that commission are chargeable to the perpetrator.

Those of you who object might feel differently if you were closer to the situation.

rotorhead

Depends on how the laws are written. If un-Constitutional, the courts will decide.

Skeptic

That's an absurd charge. So if two news choppers collide while they are covering a new worthy event started by me, I'm responsible for the deaths?

The criminal should be prosecuted for the crimes and consequences of his crimes that can be reasonably expected.

The charge seems arbitrary and random.

Amy D

that really is unfair fyi I used ur link and told them so I hope they drop the charges

dogstyle

just another way for theMAN to drop the hammer.

suavi29

he may have not asked for it to happen but he was a contributor to the crash, if he hadn't been running from the police then there wouldnt have been a chase nor copters in the air trying to report it.

If there wouldn't have been there reporting it, can you imagine how many others would have been injured or worse?

XPig

First off, you make a false statement. You state this was out of his control. It was very much within his control. Had he just obeyed the law, would there have been the deaths? He controlled the situation by his act of defiance.
I cannot agree it was irresponsible.
The laws have been on the books for a very long time that a death resulting during an inherently dangeous felony consitutes murder. Simply put, if you choose to commit a felony & someone dies during that felony, you are to be held responsible. To avoid being charged with murder, do not commit the felony.
It is really a pretty simple concept.
The driver had the choice to stop at any time - to obey the law. He made a concious decision to disobey the law. And do not try to argue that drivers do not know police pursuits can be dangerous. Anytime you are driving twice the speed limit, it is dangerous. Combine that danger with running traffic lights & stop signs, lane changes, driving on the wrong side of the road, etc., it is dangerous. If you decide to drive dangerously then why shouldn't you be held accountable for your actions?
Please do not try to make excuses for his actions.
The deaths occurred as a direct result of his actions. Had he not committed his felonies, the helicopters would not have crashed & there would have been no deaths. Do you deny that?

The police & district attorney did exactly what the law calls for. They did their jobs. Now it will be up to the jury to do theirs.

AND thanks for the link. I too gave them my opinion which follows:

Thank you for holding the fleeing felon responsible for his actions. Whereas this is an unusual case & application to the felony murder law, it very much applies. The driver had multiple opportunities to obey the law & stop his dangerous actions. He repeatedly made conscious decisions to continue his attempt to escape arrest even though he was putting himself, pursuing officers, & hundreds of citizens in peril.

vinny_says_relax

The only sad thing was that the piece of sht criminal didnt die in the car chase instead of the four news crewmen, all who had families.

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