Ex-officer in Overland gets three years in prison for manslaughter

www.stltoday.com...

CLAYTON • Former Overland police Officer Andrew Ringeisen said nothing as he was sentenced Friday to three years in prison for fatally pushing a man down a flight of stairs in what prosecutors deemed to be negligence.

"He's expressed remorse and sadness repeatedly," Barry said. "He was a police officer all his life and never had any issues with excessive force."

Ok, perhaps this was nothing more then an accident.

Ringeisen, 34, of Troy, Mo., pleaded guilty of involuntary manslaughter last month. He faced up to seven years in prison in the incident, which occurred on duty when he went to Hamilton's Overland home to investigate a call about a road rage incident. Ringeisen pushed Hamilton down an 11-step staircase during an argument. Hamilton died of his injuries five days later.

"I don't think you're an evil person or intended to do anything," said Judge Steven Goldman, in delivering the sentence recommended by the probation department, "but you used terrible judgement."

A little excessive, but it was an argument, and crap does happen in arguments

According to the suit, an officer with Ringeisen suggested they arrest Hamilton after his fall. Instead, the suit alleged, the officers left Hamilton to die and didn't return until one of his brothers called for help. The suit claimed the officers never mentioned being there earlier and that Ringeisen took a videotape from the home's surveillance system.

I guess I spoke to soon. attempting to cover up the violence. I don't think this cop should go to jail, not because he doesn't deserve it, but because it doesn't really do anything to make the victims family whole. He should work at a menial job paying restitution to the family and paying for any and all mental treatment they will need to be able to put the death of a loved one behind them, even if its for the rest of his life.

You must be kidding me right?

Wow I should join the police too so I can kill anyone I want and get a slap in the wrist. Awesome

Originally posted by balon0
You must be kidding me right?

Wow I should join the police too so I can kill anyone I want and get a slap in the wrist. Awesome

Don't be absurd.

You get desk-duty. Not a slap on the wrist - that would allow the guy to file a complaint against them citing physical abuse.

He'd win. you know that!

Slap on the wrist, indeed. Coh..

Originally posted by NuroSlam

I guess I spoke to soon. attempting to cover up the violence. I don't think this cop should go to jail, not because he doesn't deserve it, but because it doesn't really do anything to make the victims family whole. He should work at a menial job paying restitution to the family and paying for any and all mental treatment they will need to be able to put the death of a loved one behind them, even if its for the rest of his life.

Since when has ANY jail sentence done something to make a victim's family whole? All jail does is separate the troublemakers from the people who just want to live their lives without trouble. And sometimes it doesn't even do THAT right.

The guy didn't mean to do it, he's not the type of person who deserves the kind of "rehabilitation [sic]" that prison offers. But he did mess up, and he is going to be punished for it. Sounds like a just punishment. People are always like "omg, he only got 3 years? 5 years? 8 years?" 3 years is a very long time. Try humming for three years, or singing for 3 years straight, or standing on your head. He messed up, when he gets out, he's unlikely to be a police officer ever again, and I'm sure he'll never push anyone down the stairs again, either on purpose or on accident.

This actually sounds to me like one of those rare cases of the penal system doing what it was designed to do.

Originally posted by MrSensible

Since when has ANY jail sentence done something to make a victim's family whole? All jail does is separate the troublemakers from the people who just want to live their lives without trouble. And sometimes it doesn't even do THAT right.

Thats the point, the system is flawed and needs to be abolished

This whole system of justice is a ridiculous waste of everyones time and money.