Police Officer Mishandles Gun And Shoots Another

[bblhd672]

Officer who fired fatal shot charged with involuntary manslaughter; he and victim were playing with a gun, charge says
https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/cri ... -top-story

I don’t understand the charge of involuntary manslaughter. He deliberately pointed a loaded weapon at another person and pulled the trigger. One of us would be charged with murder.
Still stinks that something else was going on and is being covered up.

[crazy2medic]

Still stinks that something else was going on and is being covered up.
^^^^^^this!

[srothstein]

Officer who fired fatal shot charged with involuntary manslaughter; he and victim were playing with a gun, charge says
https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/cri ... -top-story

I don’t understand the charge of involuntary manslaughter. He deliberately pointed a loaded weapon at another person and pulled the trigger. One of us would be charged with murder.
Still stinks that something else was going on and is being covered up.

Trust the newspaper to get it wrong. There is no such charge in Texas as involuntary manslaughter. It is either murder or manslaughter or criminally negligent homicide. The difference is in the mental state. If you intended to kill or knew you would, it is murder. If the act was reckless, it is manslaughter. If it was through negligence, it is criminally negligent homicide.

In this case, the DA probably could not prove the intent to kill, but playing Russian Roulette like this is clearly reckless. The knowingly part is a possibility, but the jury could be sympathetic and not see it. A case for manslaughter should be such a lock that there is only a question of sentencing left.

[Lynyrd]

Officer charged: https://defensemaven.io/bluelivesmatter ... vfEDmujcg/

I wonder if they were drinking?

[Keith B]

Officer who fired fatal shot charged with involuntary manslaughter; he and victim were playing with a gun, charge says
https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/cri ... -top-story

I don’t understand the charge of involuntary manslaughter. He deliberately pointed a loaded weapon at another person and pulled the trigger. One of us would be charged with murder.
Still stinks that something else was going on and is being covered up.

Trust the newspaper to get it wrong. There is no such charge in Texas as involuntary manslaughter. It is either murder or manslaughter or criminally negligent homicide. The difference is in the mental state. If you intended to kill or knew you would, it is murder. If the act was reckless, it is manslaughter. If it was through negligence, it is criminally negligent homicide.

In this case, the DA probably could not prove the intent to kill, but playing Russian Roulette like this is clearly reckless. The knowingly part is a possibility, but the jury could be sympathetic and not see it. A case for manslaughter should be such a lock that there is only a question of sentencing left.

Involuntary manslauther for Missouri is just manslauther in Texas.

Involuntary manslaughter
565.024. 1. A person commits the crime of involuntary manslaughter in the first degree if he or she:
(1) Recklessly causes the death of another person;
.....

[philip964]

Sounded like murder to me. Only one person was pulling the trigger, and wasn’t pointing it at himself.

Plus not respinning after each trigger pull is not gambling.

[carlson1]

Plus not respinning after each trigger pull is not gambling.

Wow that is a great thought. Each squeeze of the trigger reduced your chances (even though stupid) by a long shot. I don’t understand the charge.

[WildBill]

Plus not respinning after each trigger pull is not gambling.

Wow that is a great thought. Each squeeze of the trigger reduced your chances (even though stupid) by a long shot. I don’t understand the charge.

Once they finish the investigation they can, and probably will, indict for murder.
I think if there were not LEO involved there would already have been a murder charge.
Most of the stories I read call it "Russian Roulette" which it clearly was not.

[RSX11]

Here's a theory - maybe the two officers handling the gun thought it was inoperative, and were goofing on the 3rd officer, to get a rise out of him. And unfortunately, they were wrong.

[WildBill]

Here's a theory - maybe the two officers handling the gun thought it was inoperative, and were goofing on the 3rd officer, to get a rise out of him. And unfortunately, they were wrong.

Yep, that's one theory.

[srothstein]

Involuntary manslauther for Missouri is just manslauther in Texas.

Thanks. I don't know why i was thinking it was in Texas. I apologize for blaming the media for not paying attention when they were, in fact, correct this time.

[tbrown]

This whole story is sad weird and tragic all at once.

Imagine your chief of police in St. Louis. Jobs hard enough on a regular day.

Well, if he has employees who go home to goof off, shortly after punching in at work, instead of actually working, he either knows or there's a serious breakdown in accountability and management in the organization.

[SQLGeek]

So maybe I need some Reynolds Wrap but this sounds like a hit to me.

[C-dub]

So maybe I need some Reynolds Wrap but this sounds like a hit to me.

I also had similar thoughts at first, but the more I think about it the more I consider it is what I was hoping it wouldn't be. I'm beginning to think it is mere utter stupidity, but am still open to the idea that there is more to it than just that.

And people wonder why we question their contention that only LE should have guns in certain places. Then something like this or the back flipping FBI agent or a certain "professional" DEA agent come along.

[WildBill]

I wonder why the three of them were at the apartment at 1AM when the two men were on duty and not supposed
to be outside of their patrol area.