Re: phoenix helicopter crash - death liability?
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two news helicopters crashed into each other in phoenix that were covering a police chase. four men died, two pilots, a photographer, and a photojournalist.
apparently:
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The police chief said the suspect will likely face criminal charges for the deaths in the helicopter crash.
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do you feel that the suspect is liable for the deaths and should face serious criminal charges?
is this even a bit ambiguous or am i way off here?
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Link to the article?
This is analogous to a common case (People v. Acosta) discussed in criminal law classes.
The difference between this case and Acosta is that news helicopters have no duty to pursue a fleeing criminal (is that the case? Can news teams be drafted to support a police chase if no police helicopters are in the area?).
If there is no duty to pursue, the voluntary actions of the helicopter pilots destroy the causal chain started by the fleeing criminal, so he should not be liable for their deaths.
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