Friday, October 23, 2009

Officer responsible for the death of a 10-year-old bike rider gets.... One day suspension

This one is frustrating:

On October 17, [Cpl. Michael] Vaughn was racing from one call to another when his squad car fatally struck 10-year-old Cole Berardi, who was riding his bicycle on a darkened portion of Belt Line Road in southeast Dallas... Cpl. Vaughn's lights and siren were not activated as required.


To continue...

The police accident report released lists speed as a contributing factor in the accident. It states that the speed of Cpl. Vaughn's vehicle ranged from 69 mph to 72 mph at the time of impact. The speed limit on that stretch of road is 40 mph.


A horrible event, but what makes this even more frustrating is the punishment for the officer.

A Dallas police officer who fatally struck a child last October received a one-day suspension during a disciplinary hearing this afternoon.


Outrageous. I don't know how this punishment could be defended.

For the rest, click HERE.