Mom charged in baby’s death after off-duty cop crashes into car at 94 mph

[angelatc]

https://nypost.com/2018/03/07/mom-ch...shes-into-car/

A Louisiana mom faces charges after an off-duty officer slammed into a car and killed her 1-year-old daughter, according to officials.

The Baton Rouge Police Department determined Brittany Stephens played a role in her daughter Seyaira’s death in October because the baby wasn’t buckled properly in the SUV, according to a Thursday report from news station WAFB.

Stephens, 20, was riding as a passenger in the SUV when Christopher Manuel, a Baton Rouge Police corporal, reportedly crashed into the vehicle. Authorities said that Manuel was driving 94 mph at the time of the fatal accident.

Police said the infant was in a car seat “wedged between the front seats on top of front center console” when the accident occurred.

“During the course of the investigation, investigators learned during an interview that she admitted to placing the car seat in the vehicle and placing the child in the car,” Sgt. Don Coppola told WAFB.

The mom was charged with negligent homicide and seat belt violations in connection to the high-speed crash.

Manuel, 27, was charged with negligent homicide and speeding. He was placed on paid administrative leave from the police department.

[ATruepatriot]

How do you feel about this? Both are being charged.

[specsaregood]

How do you feel about this? Both are being charged.

I feel that no justice will be found in their courts.

[Schifference]

I think all children should be vaccinated against the police.

[ATruepatriot]

I feel that no justice will be found in their courts.

That will be test for sure. They are both charged with crimes that are just as serious. Be curious if the get equal scrutiny and punishment. Be interesting to check back on this to find out.

I will share how I feel. I find something wrong with a society who will kill a baby in the womb yet find this woman killing her child by accident not of her fault unacceptable. But as far as charging her for negligence unfortunately I agree in this case. I have operated a towing and wrecker business most of my life and have spent thousands of hours walking along the shoulder at crash sites picking up body parts for the coroner to put in the bag, including baby parts. Her personally not wanting to wear a restraint is one thing, not retraining the baby created harm from neglect. It could just as well been someone else to hit her without it being their fault such as a mechanical failure.

[ATruepatriot]

I just can't imagine how much pain and anguish she is already in over it though. She is most likely punishing herself very much right now and I hope they take this reality into account.

[jkr]

NO PEACE
NO JUSTICE
NO COMMON SENSE, either of them

94MPH?!? WAS HE TRYING TO GO BACK TO 1955?

[Anti Federalist]

I think all children should be vaccinated against the police.

You have just won the internets.

+rep.

[jkr]

I think all children should be vaccinated against the police.

B00M!

[Anti Federalist]

B00M!

[Anti Federalist]

That will be test for sure. They are both charged with crimes that are just as serious. Be curious if the get equal scrutiny and punishment. Be interesting to check back on this to find out.

I will share how I feel. I find something wrong with a society who will kill a baby in the womb yet find this woman killing her child by accident not of her fault unacceptable. But as far as charging her for negligence unfortunately I agree in this case. I have operated a towing and wrecker business most of my life and have spent thousands of hours walking along the shoulder at crash sites picking up body parts for the coroner to put in the bag, including baby parts. Her personally not wanting to wear a restraint is one thing, not retraining the baby created harm from neglect. It could just as well been someone else to hit her without it being their fault such as a mechanical failure.

It could have been.

But it wasn't.

There was nobody at fault but the highballing cop, who will more than likely skate.

[jkr]

why waste time?
stickey this thread now!

[angelatc]

That will be test for sure. They are both charged with crimes that are just as serious. .

Her "crime" shouldn't even be a crime. That's how I feel about it. I feel strongly about it, actually.

[Schifference]

Kill your child in the birthing room equates to wonderful choice for mothers.
Fail to properly secure child seat in car equates to years in prison.
Consider all the anguish this negligent woman has caused that poor officer.

[Anti Globalist]

Something tells me the cops going to get off scott free.

[Anti Federalist]

Just curious...this is from last year.

Is there a new development in the case that I'm missing?

[angelatc]

Just curious...this is from last year.

Is there a new development in the case that I'm missing?

Not that I can find. It just started going around the internets. I suspect that maybe her trial is coming up and the defense is manipulating public opinion. I'm in. Or perhaps an election.


https://theweek.com/articles/760744/...justice-reform

Prosecutors in America, most commonly called district attorneys, have enormous and often unaccountable discretion. "They can choose how harshly to go after someone, how lenient to go after someone," explains John Pfaff, a Fordham University professor of criminal law. "They have tremendous power in that respect."

The prosecutor in Stephens' case, East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore III, was not obliged to charge her. He did not have to pile a legal fight on top of the horror of losing an infant in a preventable accident. He chose to do so, and district attorneys across the country can and do make similarly cruel and unnecessary choices. They have significant control over whether a case is prosecuted, what charges are brought, whether it goes to trial or is settled out of court, what sentence is sought, and so much more.

[angelatc]

It could have been.

But it wasn't.

There was nobody at fault but the highballing cop, who will more than likely skate.

Here's the aftermath:

[Anti Federalist]

Kill your child in the birthing room equates to wonderful choice for mothers.
Fail to properly secure child seat in car equates to years in prison.
Consider all the anguish this negligent woman has caused that poor officer.

https://twitter.com/StudentsforLife/...200834/video/1

https://twitter.com/CalebJHull/statu...455744/video/1

[Anti Federalist]

Here's the aftermath:

Protected and Served.

If the lefties and Bolsheviks really cared about criminal justice reform, they'd be raising hell about high speed cop chases, and not getting prisoners into a voting booth.

[Danke]

https://twitter.com/StudentsforLife/...200834/video/1

https://twitter.com/CalebJHull/statu...455744/video/1

Who put their dicks in that? They should be arrested.

[asurfaholic]

I think the kid would have very likely died anyways in such a vicious car wreck whether she was strapped in properly or not. Car seats don’t prevent death, just make it less likely.

I would have stuck with a lower level car seat violation, but leave the vehicular homicide charges only with the speeding vehicle. I also feel like the off duty cop should be held to a higher standard since they spent their career writing tickets to people going insignificantly higher speeds than posted limits - but I’m just dreaming over here.

[TheTexan]

Here's the aftermath:

That's a pretty bad wreck. It's a miracle the Officer survived. Praise the lord!

[TheTexan]

Has it been conclusively determined who was at fault for the accident? It's possible the other driver didn't use a turn signal correctly.

[ATruepatriot]

I think the kid would have very likely died anyways in such a vicious car wreck whether she was strapped in properly or not. Car seats don’t prevent death, just make it less likely.

And I think you are absolutely right. This sometimes is indeed the case. But I can tell you from vast experience of this particular topic, that I know for a fact that restraints save the lives of 99 out of a 100 accident victims who would have died without it. And anyone who tries to argue against this is full of crap and has absolutely no idea what they are talking about. I have worked at least a thousand accidents in my lifetime. I know what the definition and reality of vehicular accident "carnage" truly is, I have seen things that can never be unseen for the rest of my life, they flash back and haunt me every time I read or hear the word "accident".

I also feel like the off duty cop should be held to a higher standard since they spent their career writing tickets to people going insignificantly higher speeds than posted limits

ABSOLUTELY. Just like Commercial drivers are held to a higher standard for knowing better, so should law enforcement officers. They should be hung in public when they break the law like this as an example.

[angelatc]

I think the kid would have very likely died anyways in such a vicious car wreck whether she was strapped in properly or not. Car seats don’t prevent death, just make it less likely.
.

It's a testament to modern engineering that only 1 person died.

[Warrior_of_Freedom]

You all got it wrong. The officer was chasing down the mother at 94mph because she did not properly secure her child in her vehicle. Hopefully the police are OK.

[ATruepatriot]

It's a testament to modern engineering that only 1 person died.

Because I feel very secure in making a wild guess that the mother and officer were both wearing restraints.

[Warrior_of_Freedom]

Because I feel very secure in making a wild guess that the mother and officer were both wearing restraints.

I always wore my seatbelt. I dunno why it's such a big deal for some people.

[ATruepatriot]

I always wore my seatbelt. I dunno why it's such a big deal for some people.

I have four family members who are still around and myself twice because we were wearing restraints. And not one of these accidents was our own fault either. People don't like being told what to do is why, I don't either. But it shouldn't have to be a compulsory regulation. Folks should have enough common sense to understand the real cause and effect of what happens if they do not.