Originally Posted by
SASless
There is some reason to accept the local Prosecutor moved forward with the charges as it has been done.
The one comment that does relate to aviation that is similar to the liability of police officers that also pertains to pilots is the risk of criminal or civil prosecution for how we conduct our professional duties.
Clearly if officers pursuing someone in the line of their duty then kill someone (eg traffic accident caused by the officers), then a liability may be brought. Unless there is something odd and unknown about this case, making the defendant liable for being chased is a perversion of the principle.
My guess is that it is leverage: The prosecutor dangles manslaughter, public defender then accepts an array of charges at high penalty and manslaughter is dropped. No trial, no detail reaches the public domain.
Is the a/c likely to equipped with a CVR if doing LE? If not, the NTSB aren‘t going to have much to go on to clear any of this up.