Missouri Highway Patrol Trooper Ralph Tatoian fell victim to a fatal car crash while en route to the area — 40 miles away — where fugitive Massigh Stallman, on foot, was being sought in a manhunt. Now a jury has convicted Stallman of responsbility for Tatoian’s death (“Jury Convicts Suspect In Highway Patrolman’s Death”, KSDK, Missouri, Jul. 20). More: possibly similar case arises in Phoenix after crash of two news helicopters during police pursuit (Jul. 28).
Jury: distant fugitive to blame for trooper’s death
Missouri Highway Patrol Trooper Ralph Tatoian fell victim to a fatal car crash while en route to the area — 40 miles away — where fugitive Massigh Stallman, on foot, was being sought in a manhunt. Now a jury has convicted Stallman of responsbility for Tatoian’s death (“Jury Convicts Suspect In Highway Patrolman’s Death”, KSDK, […]
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Conviction doesn’t bother me overly much… I’m used to juries finding SOMETHING to blame on “bad” people, and wanting SOMEONE to blame for bad things, so this seems fairly easy to do, given a typical (meaning, “easy to emotionally manipulate”) jury.
What bothers me is that he was charged in the first place. Prosecutors should know better.
What next? Charging a homeowner who has a fire because a firefighter died in a collision on the way to put out the fire? You can see how this presents and endless list of potential “crimes”.
These people probably also believe that Uri Geller is for real.
Good thing I wasn’t on the jury. Personally I would say that the trooper’s own negligence was responsible for his death. I guess that if the trooper had hit a smaller vehicle and killed someone or run down a pedestrian that would have the the suspect’s fault as well?
Was this a “felony-murder” prosecution?
If the fire was arson and set by the homeowner then yes they would charge him. Isn’t this the same as if you rob a bank and one of the tellers has a fatal heart attack?
“Isn’t this the same as if you rob a bank and one of the tellers has a fatal heart attack?”
In case of a bank teller the robber would have been close proximity to the teller. In this case the alleged miscreant was many miles away at the time of the accident.
Seldom reported is that the deceased officer is alleged to have had an adult beverage just prior to heading for work and that he was also “late” for work.
“As he drove with his lights and siren on, he came over a hill near Pacific, and slammed into a tractor trailer.”
Not able to stop within the distance he could see to be clear – fails his basic driving test.