Recently two helicopters crashed in Phoenix while following a car chase. Can the driver of the car be charged with the murder or manslaughter of the people in the helicopter who were involved with reporting the chase?
2007-07-27 10:27:49 · 13 answers · asked by zapdude1 4 in Politics & Government ➔ Law Enforcement & Police
No, because he had no intention to cause their deaths, nor could he have reasonably believed that his actions would have led to their deaths. Their deaths were not his fault. They died due to the negligence of the pilots.
2007-07-27 10:33:14 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
If it wasn't for this stupid idiot being a jacka$$ giving the police a hard time, the helicopters would not have been in the air at that particular place at that particular time. The Phoenix Police said that he may and hopefully will be charged in the deaths of these men due to his actions.
There are so many comments from people assuming that the crash was the direct result of the pilots. Are you stating this because you know for a fact that these 2 pilots were reckless? You know for a fact that there was no helicopter malfunction? A majority of the news helicopter pilots are a tight nit family who are friends, close friends, outside of the journalism business. They take care of each other both in and out of the air. I would hope nothing tragic happens in your life where everyone says that its all your fault that it happened.
2007-07-27 22:36:37 · answer #2 · answered by wh_pirate 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That is stupid. If the news copters would have been filming something else when they collide then this driver would not be charged, but since the TV stations willingly chose to go up and film the chase (supposedly for TV ratings) the police want to charge him.
With the same analogy if someone is watching the chase on TV or listening to news reports of the chase on his radio and gets into an accident because he's distracted, the driver can be charged.
What about if I'm listening to the dog fighting reports about Mike Vick, and I get into an accident. Can Vick be charged for causing my accident?
They have some stupid laws in this country. The lawyers will do anything for money here.
2007-07-28 00:28:12 · answer #3 · answered by Tom S 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Here's the deal, its called felony murder. This law basically states that if someone, no matter who it is, dies in the commission of, attempt of, or the fleeing from a dangerous felony, the person guilty of that underlining felony may be charged with the 1st degree murder of that person killed. This is the law in Arizona and lots of other states. According to prosecutors in Phoenix they will pursue this charge. However, Felony murder typically applies to direct causes of death. For example Joe robs a store, the clerk pulls a gun and accidentally shoots a customer instead of the robber Joe. Joe will be guilty of felony murder even though he wasnt the one who shot the gun or even intended for anyone to die. It is true that but for the criminal acts of this person the choppers would not have crashed but whether this crash was reasonably foreseeable will be a different story. If this guy is convicted which he probably will because of the magnitude of the tragedy it will almost certainly be reviewed by the Supreme court of Arizona. Hope this helps, the other answers posted here are either wrong or based entirely on emotion. This is the law in AZ.
2007-07-27 23:56:01 · answer #4 · answered by Daz2020 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
If you are driving and you honk at a girl on the sidewalk, you are staring at her and rear end the guy in front of you, are you going to blame her for being on the sidewalk? These people were pilots. Their job was to be a pilot, first and foremost. If you are on a plane, the pilots job is to get you to your destination, not tell you the local weather. The pilots were talking to each other at the time of the crash. One pilot said, Channel 3 we are hovering over you, channel 15 is over you. Channel 3 responded with no, we are over you. If you are the pilot, you are supposed to know where you are and your surroundings. Same thing with when you are driving. Police aren't going to care if you say, "But it was the girls fault for being a distraction on the sidewalk." As a community, we are going to miss all 4 of them, however, I don't think many of us would blame the man, saying that it is his fault. I hope that Phoenix will stop blaming this man and instead the media will realize that it is dangerous to put that much pressure on the pilots.
2007-07-27 23:42:25 · answer #5 · answered by Tonya L 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I saw that too. To think that the truck driver would be charged with that is the most absurd thing I have ever heard. It was the reckless endangerment of the helicopter pilots and the pure greed for news that caused the accident.
2007-07-27 22:06:19 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
While a driver can be charged with results that can be reasonably anticipated from their actions, even without intent, the helicopters crashed because to the actions of the pilots. This can't be reasonable anticipated by the driver.
2007-07-27 17:52:59 · answer #7 · answered by STEVEN F 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
"The pilot in command is soley responsible for, and the final authority to the operation of the aircraft" That is a direct quote from Federal Aviation Regulations. A pilot is 100% responsible for maintaining adequate separation from persons, vehicles, vessels, structures AND other aircraft. "I was trying to get a news story for my boss" is not listed in the FAR's as an exception to the rules.
Additionally, a helicopter crash, or even helicopter news coverage are not a "Foreseeable Consequence" of running from the police.
2007-07-27 17:44:11 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Yes he will be charged for causing this accident. The phoenix police chief said he will most likely be held responsible for this accident. It doesnt matter if the choppers were too close, the only reason they were out there was to warn the public about what was happening and if he didnt run from the police then none of this would have happened.
2007-07-27 18:35:22 · answer #9 · answered by kurzez_incokerated 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
No, But if the cop went over the speed limit and did not end the chase when he saw the helicopters getting close, the state can be at fault.
2007-07-27 17:32:39 · answer #10 · answered by heThatDoesNotWantToBeNamed 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋