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Teen charged with 1st-degree murder in officer's death

Juiposa

Juiposa

is totally not a robot.
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[video]http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2011/06/29/styles-death-youth-charged.html[/video]

A 15-year-old has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Const. Garrett Styles, who was dragged and pinned by a minivan during a traffic stop just north of Toronto on Tuesday.

The teen was charged Tuesday night in hospital, where he remains with serious injuries.

Styles, 32, died Tuesday while making a traffic stop on a rural highway east of Newmarket, Ont.

He was dragged by a minivan for 300 metres before the vehicle flipped, pinning him underneath.
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Why do things like this happen. I hope the parents are charged with accessory also.
 
Every murder is charged with first degree. And second degree. It's done with a spaghetti theory. You throw everything and see what sticks. I also note that the article omits any details about what actually happened. A fifteen year old? A minivan? Sounds like a tragic accident to me. Especially since the perpetrator is also seriously injured. Who plans out a murder and includes possibly fatal injuries to themselves in the plan?
 
Paschendale said:
Every murder is charged with first degree. And second degree. It's done with a spaghetti theory. You throw everything and see what sticks. I also note that the article omits any details about what actually happened. A fifteen year old? A minivan? Sounds like a tragic accident to me. Especially since the perpetrator is also seriously injured. Who plans out a murder and includes possibly fatal injuries to themselves in the plan?
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The ten was driving the minivan when he was pulled over by the Constable. After questioning the officer found out the kid didn't have a license,and to boot was only fifteen. The kid panicked, slammed the gas WHILE the officer was leaning into the window and dragged him 300 metres (1000') before flipping over on top of the officer.

Thats what happened, I dont a source because I heard it on CBC Radio 1.
 
Juiposa said:
The ten was driving the minivan when he was pulled over by the Constable. After questioning the officer found out the kid didn't have a license,and to boot was only fifteen. The kid panicked, slammed the gas WHILE the officer was leaning into the window and dragged him 300 metres (1000') before flipping over on top of the officer.

Thats what happened, I dont a source because I heard it on CBC Radio 1.
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That hardly sounds like 1st degree murder
 
1000 feet? Yeah, its aggravated. He could have stopped.

If the distance was that great, assuming.
 
OpportunityCost said:
1000 feet? Yeah, its aggravated. He could have stopped.

If the distance was that great, assuming.
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You make your choices and we pay our prices. He purposely killed another human being, he should pay the price for that. Too bad the officer couldn't get to his gun and shoot him in the head.
 
Ikari said:
That hardly sounds like 1st degree murder
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And I bet the kid was entrapped! Seriously, are there any criminal laws you support?
 
Good to hear. Hope he rots in a cell for life.
 
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I'm just going to go out on a limb here, but the kid probably was freaked out had no idea what he was doing, and didn't think "Hey I'm going to kill this cop." I would say the kid gets maybe 10-15 years in prison and is out.
 
Gargantuan said:
Good to hear. Hope he rots in a cell for life.
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But he's young and he (here's the word that's supposed to excuse everything) panicked. This was clearly justified.
 
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X Factor said:
And I bet the kid was entrapped! Seriously, are there any criminal laws you support?
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Hyperbole aside, 1st degree is premeditated murder. I'd say this is 3rd degree at best, most accurately manslaughter.
 
Ikari is correct. It is highly unlikely that the kid planned to get stopped by this particular cop and then drag him to his death. The most probably scenario would be manslaughter or second degree murder.
 
It's a mistake to believe it's only murder if you plan it out in advance.
 
Ikari said:
Hyperbole aside, 1st degree is premeditated murder. I'd say this is 3rd degree at best, most accurately manslaughter.
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Nope.

Murder: Second degree

Second-degree murder is ordinarily defined as 1) an intentional killing that is not premeditated or planned, nor committed in a reasonable "heat of passion" or 2) a killing caused by dangerous conduct and the offender's obvious lack of concern for human life. Second-degree murder may best be viewed as the middle ground between first-degree murder and voluntary manslaughter.
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And first degree :
Murder: First Degree

In most states, first-degree murder is defined as an unlawful killing that is both willful and premeditated, meaning that it was committed after planning or "lying in wait" for the victim.

For example, Dan comes home to find his wife in bed with Victor. Three days later, Dan waits behind a tree near Victor's front door. When Victor comes out of the house, Dan shoots and kills him.

Most states also adhere to a legal concept known as the "felony murder rule," under which a person commits first-degree murder if any death (even an accidental one) results from the commission of certain violent felonies -- usually arson, burglary, kidnapping, rape, and robbery.
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There is a possibility they can go with the felony murder rule but 2nd degree certainly seems to fit the circumstances best unless and until more details are released.
 
I'd say third degree is most likely the most accurate designation

Third degree murder is often referred to as involuntary manslaughter. Involuntary manslaughter is murder that was not intended specifically by the defendant. Criminal negligence is often the precursor to involuntary manslaughter. Reckless use of a motor vehicle, firearms, explosives, animals, medicine, and the like that results in the death of a person falls under this category of murder. Some states also consider it murder to cause or aid another's suicide, or to supply drugs which result in death.
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Arcana XV said:
Under Canadian law, killing a police officer with or without intent you get an automatic 1st degree murder charge.
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That could very well be the law. But I don't believe it to fit the actual definition of 1st degree murder.
 
Sounds like manslaughter to me, at most. And there's no reason to bring his parents into it; I'm sure they would have happily told their son not to kill police officers if they'd known the kid was too stupid to figure it out on his own.
 
Ikari said:
Hyperbole aside, 1st degree is premeditated murder. I'd say this is 3rd degree at best, most accurately manslaughter.
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All those are felonies. Wouldn't you feel bad if a 15 year old got a felony conviction?
 
Ikari said:
That could very well be the law. But I don't believe it to fit the actual definition of 1st degree murder.
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... What is murder, if it isn't exactly what the law says it is? 1st degree murder is defined by statute.
 
X Factor said:
All those are felonies. Wouldn't you feel bad if a 15 year old got a felony conviction?
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It's unfortunate, but he did cause the death of another human.
 
Viktyr Korimir said:
Sounds like manslaughter to me, at most. And there's no reason to bring his parents into it; I'm sure they would have happily told their son not to kill police officers if they'd known the kid was too stupid to figure it out on his own.
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If it's manslaughter "at most", does that mean you think it could be something less?
 
Viktyr Korimir said:
... What is murder, if it isn't exactly what the law says it is? 1st degree murder is defined by statute.
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But there are very historic definitions of these sorts of laws. The common definitions of which have already been listed in the thread. I don't necessarily think it is right to change the definition just because the individual happened to be a cop. People are people, no one person is better than the other due to position in life, and laws are made for specific reasons. It doesn't quite seem to be within the lines of justice to change the laws for certain people particularly given the punishments involved. This kid has to face what he did, but he should face the right law for what he did.
 
Prof. Peabody said:
Too bad the officer couldn't get to his gun and shoot him in the head.
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What the Hell good would that have done? It wouldn't have taken the kid's foot off the gas.

X Factor said:
All those are felonies. Wouldn't you feel bad if a 15 year old got a felony conviction?
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Not if he had committed a felony. Fifteen's a grown man.
 
Ikari said:
It's unfortunate, but he did cause the death of another human.
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Yeah, but it was a cop conducting a traffic stop. Are you satisfied the cop wasn't overstepping his authority by pulling the kid over in the first place?
 
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