Lawsuit says police stood by for 13 minutes as her 30-year-old son drowned in the Tennessee River

[Mike Honcho 4,035]

 

Quote

 

CNN

Clabo began running toward the Tennessee River, the lawsuit alleges, citing body-camera footage as evidence. The responding officer then told Clabo to “come on back here when you’re done,” the lawsuit says.

Clabo continued toward the river until he ran “down a steep embankment that was covered in brush,”and fell into the river at 10:14 a.m., according to the police report and the lawsuit.

That’s when the officer called for a rescue boat from the Knoxville Fire Department, according to the lawsuit and the police report.

The officer “repeatedly” told Clabo to swim to a nearby dock, according to the lawsuit.

The officer said over the radio that Clabo was “attempting to get back to shore but I cannot get to him,” according to the lawsuit, which, citing body-cam footage, alleges that the officer never tried to do so. The officer later told Clabo to relax while they waited for the boat to arrive, the lawsuit says.

Clabo was struggling to stay afloat and to grab hold of vines and tree limbs on the river bank, according to the lawsuit.

Other officers began arriving at 10:21 a.m. and debated trying to get Clabo out of the water, the lawsuit says. “I’m not going down there, cause he’ll drown my ass,” said one of the officers, according to the lawsuit.

“Victim would not acknowledge us and refused to communicate with anyone on scene,” said the report filed by police.

Eventually, four officers, in addition to at least one EMT, were present at the scene, and despite Clabo’s proximity to the shore, the lawsuit alleges that “none of the four officers tried to reach him with their hands, a baton, a rope, a tow-strap, a flotation device, or anything.” Police offered assistance to Clabo and continued to urge him to swim out of the river, but never rendered any actual help, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit alleges that in two instances, the officers stopped private citizens from helping.

“At least two would-be citizen-heroes wanted to try to save Mika themselves,” says the lawsuit.

One person, an employee of a nearby establishment, allegedly “pleaded” with one officer to use a tow strap to rescue Clabo, according to the lawsuit, but the officer said that it wasn’t safe because he might drown the employee as well. The employee persisted, according to the lawsuit, telling officers that he could get keys to a gate underneath the establishment “where flotation devices or even a small boat were stored, to throw one or more to Mika or at least try to reach him.”

“No, he’s got to cooperate and that’s not going to happen,” replied an officer, according to the lawsuit.

Clabo “disappears” in the water at 10:27 a.m., according to the lawsuit. The police report states that Clabo was last seen above water at 10:28 a.m. and that the rescue boat arrived “shortly after.”

The lawsuit states that divers found Clabo’s body “and pulled him out of the river at approximately 12:40 p.m,” adding that his “feet and neck were entangled with vines.”

 

Be interesting to see what the body cam footage shows. 

[IGotWorms 3,315]

Agreed, this’ll be solved by bodycam footage. Allegations aren’t great (stopping others from trying to help) but you gotta see and understand the situation to decide if they were being prudent in trying to avoid further injury or loss of life or if they just didn’t give two focks what happened to this guy 

[Cdub100 3,381]

A loser drug addict who was a net negative on society killed himself. Nothing was lost and society is a better place with this druggy dead.

Police were smart not to risk themselves and other people. 

[Fireballer 2,383]

This could be similar to the Parkland cop who didn’t enter the school.  They may have no legal obligation to do so.  The PD in the city where I work is only required to “summon aid” and not actually take action.

[IGotWorms 3,315]

5 minutes ago, Cdub100 said:

A loser drug addict who was a net negative on society killed himself. Nothing was lost and society is a better place with this druggy dead.

This is where I’d ring em up for $30 million as an example

[nobody 2,043]

Interesting spot.  Why did the guy run into the river?

[nobody 2,043]

I don't see what the big deal is here.  Isn't it standard procedure not to risk additional lives to save one?

That's actually what always bothered me about that move Vertical Limit. 

4 people ended up dying to save 1 person, and they acted like it was a happy ending.

[Cdub100 3,381]

4 minutes ago, nobody said:

Interesting spot.  Why did the guy run into the river?

Because he's a worthless basehead.

[dogcows 1,029]

I bet all those cops who refused to lend a helping hand (and even prevented others from helping) claim to be Christians.

[nobody 2,043]

So if the cops assess the situation...

...Person acting erratically flailing in the water fleeing police for no reason and not responding to verbal cues...

As unsafe for them to enter the water, how can they let random citizens go in?

 

[nobody 2,043]

Before we go to far into this.

Does anyone not understand that a person flailing in the water will use you as a floating device if you go try to save them?  It's pretty dangerous.

[dogcows 1,029]

2 minutes ago, nobody said:

So if the cops assess the situation...

...Person acting erratically flailing in the water fleeing police for no reason and not responding to verbal cues...

As unsafe for them to enter the water, how can they let random citizens go in?

 

If it supposedly isn’t their job to save people, then they shouldn’t prevent anybody from jumping into the water if they want to. No law against jumping in the water, right?

[TheNewGirl 1,031]

9 minutes ago, dogcows said:

I bet all those cops who refused to lend a helping hand (and even prevented others from helping) claim to be Christians.

Perhaps not...I've heard that satan worship is making a come-back. 

[nobody 2,043]

3 minutes ago, dogcows said:

If it supposedly isn’t their job to save people, then they shouldn’t prevent anybody from jumping into the water if they want to. No law against jumping in the water, right?

They shouldn't have asked for permission then.  

So the guy drowns the good Samaritan.   Now the police have two lawsuits?

[dogcows 1,029]

1 minute ago, TheNewGirl said:

Perhaps not...I've heard that satan worship is making a come-back. 

The devil’s in the details

[TheNewGirl 1,031]

1 minute ago, dogcows said:

If it supposedly isn’t their job to save people, then they shouldn’t prevent anybody from jumping into the water if they want to. No law against jumping in the water, right?

Of course there aren't any laws preventing people from jumping in the water. 

However, let's say four would-be good samaritans jump in, and now the cops have to rescue a total of five people from the river.

 

[nobody 2,043]

Man, this really is a great country.  

Nowhere else int he world.  A guy voluntarily jumps in a river because a cop talked to him, and somehow it's the cop's fault he drowned.

[dogcows 1,029]

Just now, nobody said:

They shouldn't have asked for permission then.  

So the guy drowns the good Samaritan.   Ow the police have two lawsuits?

This blind support for the police is really something. Here’s a better question - could you live with yourself if you saw somebody drowning, and didn’t even try to help them? Here’s what a real man does, and this wasn’t even a full-grown man - he was a teenager:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jul/06/us-teen-hero-rescue-mississippi-car-plunges-river

[dogcows 1,029]

Just now, nobody said:

Man, this really is a great country.  

Nowhere else int he world.  A guy voluntarily jumps in a river because a cop talked to him, and somehow it's the cop's fault he drowned.

What a great country when paid public servants stand around, watching somebody drown, and say “not my problem."

[nobody 2,043]

2 minutes ago, dogcows said:

What a great country when paid public servants stand around, watching somebody drown, and say “not my problem."

So now, w're making things up?

The paid public servant called for appropriately equipped help and tried to instruct the person who ran into the water how to get to safety.

[TheNewGirl 1,031]

Dogcows believes ACAB. 

No point in arguing with him in this thread; or any others for that matter. 

[RogerDodger 797]

No foking way I'm running down the embankment and jumping in the water to save some dude cracked out on drugs.  No way.  

This lawsuit gets tossed easily.  

@nobody has it correctly.  

[thegeneral 1,414]

What a shitty story. If I were on a jury would want to see the videos but this sounds pretty gross that they weren’t at least trying trying to toss him some stuff. 

I get not just jumping in the water as well depending on the situation (although watching someone drown would be pretty tough).

This portion of the article sounds no bueno: 

“One person, an employee of a nearby establishment, allegedly “pleaded” with one officer to use a tow strap to rescue Clabo, according to the lawsuit, but the officer said that it wasn’t safe because he might drown the employee as well.

The employee persisted, according to the lawsuit, telling officers that he could get keys to a gate underneath the establishment “where flotation devices or even a small boat were stored, to throw one or more to Mika or at least try to reach him.” 

“No, he’s got to cooperate and that’s not going to happen,” replied an officer, according to the lawsuit.”

[RogerDodger 797]

And lets face it - the drugs killed this guy, not the water or the lack of ability to swim.  

[Baker Boy 1,485]

14 minutes ago, dogcows said:

This blind support for the police is really something. Here’s a better question - could you live with yourself if you saw somebody drowning, and didn’t even try to help them? Here’s what a real man does, and this wasn’t even a full-grown man - he was a teenager:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jul/06/us-teen-hero-rescue-mississippi-car-plunges-river

 

 

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[easilyscan 559]

Feel bad for her, gotta be tough to raise a child and see him turn into an opioid addict, but she deserves nothing.  

[Mike Honcho 4,035]

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[Engorgeous George 1,176]

Not my area of law but I believe there is no duty to rescue, generally, but if rescue is undertaken there is a duty to do so with reasonable competence under the circumstances.  Also, if a rescue is apparently being undertaken such that others who might rescue therefore refrain, the attempted rescue or apparent rescue should not be abandoned.  You don't get to deter others from undertaking the rescue.  The officers here had no duty to rescue, but they may have a duty not to deter others from the attempt.

[TimHauck 1,801]

3 hours ago, nobody said:

They shouldn't have asked for permission then.  

So the guy drowns the good Samaritan.   Now the police have two lawsuits?

IANAL but I don’t see how the police could have liability for someone else trying to save the first guy.

Even still, I guess I could see them trying to stop other people from jumping in, but why allegedly not even allow other people to use a tow strap?

 

1 hour ago, Engorgeous George said:

Not my area of law but i believe there is no duty to rescue, generally, but if rescue is undertaken there is a duty to do so with reasonable competence under the circumstances.  Also, if a rescue is apparently being undertaken such that others who might rescue therefore refrain the attempted rescue or apparent rescue should nnot be abandoned.  You don't get to deter others from undertaking the rescue.  The officers here had no duty to rescue, but they may have a duty not to deter others from the attempt.

This. 

[IGotWorms 3,315]

1 hour ago, Engorgeous George said:

Not my area of law but i believe there is no duty to rescue, generally, but if rescue is undertaken there is a duty to do so with reasonable competence under the circumstances.  Also, if a rescue is apparently being undertaken such that others who might rescue therefore refrain the attempted rescue or apparent rescue should nnot be abandoned.  You don't get to deter others from undertaking the rescue.  The officers here had no duty to rescue, but they may have a duty not to deter others from the attempt.

That’s true of private citizens, but these are cops, so they may have had a duty to rescue (who else would) but also a duty to stop others from trying (since the cops should’ve been the ones doing it)

[frank 2,145]

4 hours ago, nobody said:

Interesting spot.  Why did the guy run into the river?

To get to the other side. 

[Casual Observer 597]

4 hours ago, IGotWorms said:

This is where I’d ring em up for $30 million as an example

.  When was the last time you were inside a courtroom, little buddy?

[seafoam1 1,879]

4 hours ago, Cdub100 said:

A loser drug addict who was a net negative on society killed himself. Nothing was lost and society is a better place with this druggy dead.

Police were smart not to risk themselves and other people. 

Not saving him did society a favor is correct.

[seafoam1 1,879]

4 hours ago, IGotWorms said:

This is where I’d ring em up for $30 million as an example

Go ahead. I bet you won't even try. 

[easilyscan 559]

14 minutes ago, frank said:

To get to the other side. 

He made it.

[IGotWorms 3,315]

3 minutes ago, seafoam1 said:

Go ahead. I bet you won't even try. 

Uh, yeah, I meant if I were on the jury

[seafoam1 1,879]

6 minutes ago, IGotWorms said:

Uh, yeah, I meant if I were on the jury

Yeah, you're not biased. Pre judging people before a trial is the way this country should run. 

 

[Hardcore troubadour 12,653]

Lol. You clowns thinks there’s swimming standards to be a cop? And training?  You would be lucky if the spent a morning in the pool in the academy in their shorts. Simmer down citizens. You barely have to go for a vigorous walk anymore to be hired. Lol. 

[Hardcore troubadour 12,653]

“Oh, you can’t swim? Sorry, we can’t hire you as a cop. Come back when you learn”. Lol.  You don’t have to be a good  swimmer to be in the Freakin Navy. You Fockers are funny. 

[seafoam1 1,879]

Oh boy a cop who "should" jump in the river with some criminal who won't respond to help and allow him to drag me down with him. 

Are you liberals really this stupid?