Soccor referee punched by 17yo and then dies

[some_guy]

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nat...nched-coma-teen-player-dies-article-1.1335459

To me, that is profoundly sad.

And sobering in a way. Life is not virtual reality. Even 17 year olders need to be responsible, and I suspect the kid is realizing that.

This is one of those off the richter scale events that seem unexpected. I remember in my younger years screaming at a ref with all my anger, much more than the event implied, but never even thought of punching the guy. But he did take an lot of abuse for a church basketball league ref making like no money.

 

[TheVrolok]

Terrible. Similar situation happened at an acquaintances' wedding. One of the groomsmen (who has a history of being a hot head) got into an argument with the bride's uncle. The groomsman threw one punch, knocked the uncle out cold, EMS was called, died on the way to the hospital. Awful.

BTW, what do video games have to do with anything?

 

[some_guy]

Terrible. Similar situation happened at an acquaintances' wedding. One of the groomsmen (who has a history of being a hot head) got into an argument with the bride's uncle. The groomsman threw one punch, knocked the uncle out cold, EMS was called, died on the way to the hospital. Awful.

BTW, what do video games have to do with anything?

I meant swinging at a ref is not virtual reality/holodeck where actions such as blowing things up or killing people seemingly do not have substantial detrimental effects including that people have families and children and memories that last generations that need to be dealt with and that anger outbursts have effects.

I changed my post a bit.

 

[velillen]

Such a sad thing. The teenager should be tried as an adult and punished. No excuse for what he did. Its a game, its one thing to be upset with a call but what he did is just unacceptable. Sounds like the kid had anger issues.

I know i used to get angry at calls at a younger age, but by the time i was 16 and playing soccer I never thought of yelling at a ref. Id grown past that thanks to my parents putting me in line when i was younger.

Its sad what these refs have to go through for pretty much volunteer work. I had a friend who reffed the "micro" soccer (5 year olds) and i think he got like 10 bucks per a game. Thankfully at tthat age it was just all fun and games and nobody ever really got mad

 

[IGBT]

two families ruined and legions of lawyers lining up to litigate. No doubt reckless teenager will be punished but so will his family.

 

[Lithium381]

where are the lawmakers lining up to pass legislation banning soccer. . . if we could save just one life . . .

 

[Spungo]

When keepin it real goes right.

 

[LTC8K6]

Somebody forward this to George Zimmerman's attorney.

 

[xBiffx]

Somebody forward this to George Zimmerman's attorney.

What good is that going to do?

 

[Jaskalas]

Soccor referee punched by 17yo and then dies

Really puts into perspective when some people suggest you take a beating and are not allowed to defend yourself.

 

[bononos]

He got soccer punched.

 

[drebo]

Kid should be tried as an adult for murder.

Seriously, when I was a kid, this would never have been seen as acceptable behavior and we never would have assaulted our elders like this.

WTF is wrong with people today?

 

[highland145]

Kid should be tried as an adult for murder.

Seriously, when I was a kid, this would never have been seen as acceptable behavior and we never would have assaulted our elders like this.

WTF is wrong with people today?

Lawyer on FOX said it would be near impossible to even get a manslaughter conviction. The kid had no intent to kill him nor any idea that a punch would do it.

Sucks for the ref's family.

 

[xBiffx]

Lawyer on FOX said it would be near impossible to even get a manslaughter conviction. The kid had no intent to kill him nor any idea that a punch would do it.

Sucks for the ref's family.

I have to agree. No one believes this kid meant anything more than to sucker punch the ref. Deadly intent wasn't there.

It should still make people think twice when they do something stupid like this. The kid will forever have that man's death on his conscience.

Sucks for all involved.

 

[Jaskalas]

Deadly intent wasn't there.

Isn't that the point of manslaughter? Deadly intent would be second degree murder.

 

[Genx87]

Lawyer on FOX said it would be near impossible to even get a manslaughter conviction. The kid had no intent to kill him nor any idea that a punch would do it.

Sucks for the ref's family.

Wouldnt that be the definition of involentary manslaughter?

 

[drebo]

I have to agree. No one believes this kid meant anything more than to sucker punch the ref. Deadly intent wasn't there.

It should still make people think twice when they do something stupid like this. The kid will forever have that man's death on his conscience.

Sucks for all involved.

Bullshit. Sounds like the kid is a punk who should be caned and then thrown in the darkest hole we can find.

We as a country have way too much tolerance for this kind of bullshit.

It is not in any way acceptable for a kid to display this kind of behavior and letting him off with a slap on the wrist because "it wasn't his intent to kill the guy" only serves to show that we don't actually care how our youth act.

 

[highland145]

Wouldnt that be the definition of involuntary manslaughter?

That's what I would think too. Max sentence in S.C. is 5 years.

 

[xBiffx]

Isn't that the point of manslaughter? Deadly intent would be second degree murder.

I would think that the ref's family does have a case for wrongful death, for sure. But that is a civil matter. Nothing criminal, as far as the ref's death goes, for the soccer player. Manslaughter is still a criminal charge. I think it goes way too far to charge the kid with anything relating to the death. Assault sure, manslaughter, no way.

 

[xBiffx]

Bullshit. Sounds like the kid is a punk who should be caned and then thrown in the darkest hole we can find.

We as a country have way too much tolerance for this kind of bullshit.

It is not in any way acceptable for a kid to display this kind of behavior and letting him off with a slap on the wrist because "it wasn't his intent to kill the guy" only serves to show that we don't actually care how our youth act.

Felony assault is hardly a slap on the wrist.

 

[FerrelGeek]

Felony assault is hardly a slap on the wrist.

If they don't bind him over to adult court and treat him as a juvenile, it might as well be. If they keep it a juvie matter, he might get time in a juvie prison, but no guarantee of that. Then his record gets sealed. The family should get sued for wrongful death.

 

[Jaskalas]

I would think that the ref's family does have a case for wrongful death, for sure. But that is a civil matter. Nothing criminal, as far as the ref's death goes, for the soccer player. Manslaughter is still a criminal charge. I think it goes way too far to charge the kid with anything relating to the death. Assault sure, manslaughter, no way.

You're going to run into very strong feelings that the act constitutes manslaughter. My own included, and your contradiction to what we feel is very baffling. It's as if you're looking at just the punch, without its consequences. Does the law really work that way?

A man is dead, being an "accident" makes it manslaughter.

 

[rpsgc]

Your actions have consequences. That punk needs to learn that, the hard way.

 

[xBiffx]

You're going to run into very strong feelings that the act constitutes manslaughter. My own included, and your contradiction to what we feel is very baffling. It's as if you're looking at just the punch, without its consequences. Does the law really work that way?

A man is dead, being an "accident" makes it manslaughter.

Guess we wait and see how it turns out.

 

[Sheik Yerbouti]

involuntary manslaughter
noun accidental homicide, accidental killing, accidental murder, killing with criminal negligence, killing with reckless disregard, killing without caution, killing without circumspection, unintentional homicide, unintentional killing, unpremeditated killing
http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/involuntary+manslaughter


Pretty much a textbook definition of involuntary manslaughter. I feel sorry for the kid, kinda, but you gotta deal with your actions, and his actions constituted the act of involuntary manslaughter. I feel even worse for the family of the ref.