A team of Florida police officers had some major explaining to do. Three officers have been charged with felony leaving the scene of a crash involving death after allowing innocent bystanders to die during a chase. Four more are facing charges of official misconduct.
Seven West Palm Beach Police Department officers were involved in a high-speed chase with a stolen Kia Stinger. They trailed the Kia at 120 mph in two marked Ram patrol trucks and one Ford Interceptor Utility crossover. The pursuit lasted twelve minutes. None of the seven activated their body cameras or radioed dispatch to notify other units about the pursuit. They even went outside of their jurisdiction and entered Boynton Beach without informing BBPD. But that isn’t the worst of it.
At an intersection, the driver of the stolen Kia lost control and collided with a Toyota Corolla traveling the opposite direction. The Kia’s driver was injured, but he exited the stolen vehicle and fled on foot.
Neither of the WPBPD officers pursued him. However, this is far from the worst of it. They didn’t even bother inspecting the damaged Corolla to determine who was inside and the extent of their injuries. The police still did not notify the BBPD about the collision. They did not provide medical care or even call an ambulance.
The WPBPD officers abandon the injured bystanders and flee
The WPBPD officers dispersed and departed the scene of the accident. One of the Ram patrol trucks drove around the Kia Stinger wreckage, passing immediately by the crushed Toyota Corolla. Marcia Pochette (57) and her pregnant daughter (Janice Woods, 27) were both inside the Corolla. They were still alive, but not for much longer.
Later that night, local BBPD officers located the women and rushed them to the hospital. However, they did not detect the crash in time. The two women died.
The three cops arrested are Austin B. Danielovich, Pierre F. Etienne, and Christopher C. Rekdahl. They were in the Ram truck that drove right by the injured women. Presumably, the State Attorney believes these cops saw individuals in the automobile before fleeing. The three officers may face up to 65 years in prison.
Officers in the other vehicles included Michael E. Borgen, William L. Loayza, Brandan C. Stedfelt, and Darien J. Thomas. They are merely charged with official misconduct, which carries a maximum prison sentence of five years. They didn’t see the Corolla, but they must have known someone was driving it when the accident happened. And they did not see anyone climb out before fleeing.
State Attorney Cox said, “The police officers’ actions are a disturbing betrayal of the public trust…Law enforcement officers have a duty to the public they swore to uphold. No one is above the law, and this office will pursue justice wherever the facts and the law lead.” See the latest coverage in the video embedded below:
