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Subscribe to RSSAn 18-year-old who was running from police died after he jumped over a wall at Niagara Gorge in Canada. NBCNews.com's Alex Witt reports.
Updated at 1:01 p.m. ET: A teenager was killed when he leaped over a waist-high wall to evade a pursuing police officer, only for both to plunge more than 30 yards into Niagara Gorge.
Ryan Dube, 18, was killed and the officer with the Niagara Regional Police Service suffered a broken leg in the incident at about 5 p.m. on Tuesday, authorities said.
During the chase, both of them mistakenly hopped a retaining wall and Dube fell to his death, they said.
His body was found about three hours later after a massive rescue effort that focused on Niagara Gorge less than a mile downstream from the famed falls, authorities said.
'The kid went off the ledge'
Dube fled from the officer who stopped him for questioning regarding violations of his curfew that was a condition of his probation, said JoAnne Turner, director of the Boys and Girls Club of Niagara, Canada.
"Apparently in an effort to flee the police officer, he went over and the police officer went right after him," she said.
Full international coverage on NBCNews.com
Witnesses told news outlets they saw the police officer jump out of his vehicle to pursue the young man on foot.
"The kid went off the ledge, and the cop went with him," the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. quoted witness Logan Tremblay as saying.
"I ran over the ledge to see if I could grab the cop or if the cop was still on the ledge, and as I looked, the cop was going. Like I saw part of his uniform and then it disappeared," Tremblay added.
"He was pursuing the suspect but for some reason, and this is probably strange to most people around here, is why the officer would have jumped over the wall too knowing how dangerous it is there. It’s kind of a mystery," local resident Ermanno Ceniccola told Toronto's National Post newspaper.
According to Canadian law enforcement officials, the officer suffered a broken leg and was airlifted to a nearby trauma center.
The Toronto Star said Niagara police identified the officer as Const. Jacob Smits. The National Post said Smits remained hospitalized in serious condition.
"It's a very treacherous little stretch," Turner said, recalling incidents in which tourists straddle the wall for a better view of the falls before realizing the danger.
From May: Man becomes third to survive plunge at Niagara Falls
An independent investigation into the police's role in the incident will be conducted by Ontario's Special Investigations Unit, which was contacted by local police following the death in accordance with provincial law.
Dube was originally from St. Catharines, Ontario, local reports said.
Father: He was trying to turn his life around
Turner said Dube had been staying at a local youth home, where staff said he had no behavioral trouble other than occasionally missing curfew.
"He was very well-liked by staff and residents," she said. "He was making good progress."
She said she did not know why Dube was on probation.
"It's just tragic," she said. "There's no other word to describe it."
Dube's father, Jean Paul Dube, told the Star that his son had been troubled and was in and out of jail, but was trying to turn his life around.
"He was making some good changes until this happened," he told the newspaper.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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Leave a Comment:
Good. One less repeat offender. If the kid was good then why the hell did he run? He was already familiar with law enforcement and bieng in trouble. Runing only makes it worse.
Adios punk.
Strange the officer jumped the ledge also. Being from the area one would think he would be aware of the surroundings. Not enough info. Maybe he was close enough to where he thought he could save the kid, maybe not. I can't wait to hear what his reasoning was for jumping the ledge.
It'd be cooler if the cop plunged to his death for chasing after a young kid just for being out after curfew.
This continent is quickly spiraling into a police state. Cops ruthlessly shooting unarmed civilians or chasing them to their deaths from coast-to-coast. People are waking up slightly though, like in Anaheim, CA and Dallas, TX. Hopefully more will join and the strangle hold of the North American police state can be loosened.
I'm willing to bet the kid was in jail for smoking pot. Then the courts hit him with probation and he get's a ridiculous curfew. Kid doesn't want to go to jail again and makes a dash for it, fat beer bellied cop chases him to his death for a minor "violation".
This story is often repeated all across this once great land, albeit with different methods of torture and death at the hands of the police state. Be it an innocent unarmed citizens death by tasering, death by vehicle, death by gunfire, death by hanging, death by beating, death by mauling, death by neglect, or any other method of torture and death the revenue collectors for the police state choose... it will all be retributed in the end, and hopefully soon.
Fat cop? Pot violations? Your making bigger leaps than this kid did.
Tragic situation, extremely avoidable. Hardly indicative of a "police state."
Che Pajogwin - Uh, this took place in CANADA, Einstein. Perhaps if people like you weren't so intent upon breaking the law, you wouldn't be so hassled by the police.
The simple fact is that the kid caused his own death, he chose to be out in violation of his curfew and he chose to run and jump the wall, Your rant trying to blame the police officer for this kids death is pathetic, While it is a tragedy this kid died it was by his own hands or in this case feet and no one is to blame but the kid himself.
It does not matter what he was originally charged with, The simple facts are the kid violated the law and then he chose to try to escape.
AtticusRules: Hey Hemmingway, learn to read before you respond please. I clearly stated CONTINENT, which includes Canada. Also, to my knowledge, I've never broken a law, yet this has no bearing on weather or not you believe we live in a police state. Are you another cop-apologist, or just not that smart?
Some of these comments are extremely morbid.
"It would've been cool if the cop died too" & "One less repeat offender" "Fat cop".
What the hell is wrong with you guys? Regardless of the situation, you have no respect for humanity. Makes me sick, man. Really.
When you post these kinds of comments, it puts you on the same level as the kid who ran from the cop. So, stop running. WTF man.
When are you going to jump? Cynic.
To Che Pajogwin - um, no, if you want to be technical about it, you did NOT clearly state CONTINENT.... You said "North American police state" and I believe you only got lucky that Canada is part of North America.... Dumb azzzz
Teenagers often think nothing bad is ever going to happen to THEM. Guess what... wrong again...
@DevlsAdvacut, I was also amazed that the cop was not familiar with the area. It is a major tourist area, and anyone, who has been there, knows that the rapids along that area are at least category 5 rapids. I visited Niagara Falls once, and we walked along that area, and I have never seen such a rushing river anywhere (although I am not a whitewater guy, so I do not seek out the most extreme waters).
Agree with him or not, that aside, it was pretty clear to me that Che said "continent", and therefore, knew it happened in Canada.
When you are 18, you still think you're superman. This kid found out with his life that that's not true. Hope the police officer recovers quickly.
Yep, no tears being shed here. Honestly, the World is probably a little better off with one less troublemaker...
Sorry Creek, but many of us have no respect for gutless, little chickensh*ts who run from cops. Now go cry somewhere else, man.
Stupid @!$%#ing cop, he probably can't spell either
Froggstylec, Perhaps you should read better before you seek to criticize someone else. The second sentence clearly reads: "This continent".... Considering the number of police shootings, wrongful arrests, illegal confiscations of legal firearms, speed traps and more, one can understand someone having that viewpoint.
It does not apply in this case because this young man chose to run and jump to his own death. Unless I see proof that the officer threw the teen over the wall, the kid essentially killed himself. How much harm could have come from talking to the officer? This seems so foolish...
I agree with some previous responses in that people who are saying things like one less troublemaker and Good. One less repeat offender... and in the spirit of what an earlier poster said- the lack of love and compassion people have for humanity is just staggering. Everyone has to take a deep breath, wait for more facts and even then... what is with this celebration of the death on an 18 year old man? You must all agree George Zimmerman should get put to death huh?
Celebrating a death in almost all circumstances is barbaric, and to me is astonishing. It would be really interesting to know what this guy had done, and after that see if you think if he deserved to die.
There is more than enough hate on here to go around in just the first two comments! Have we really become so desensitized and bitter that we want to crucify EVERYONE we believe has committed a wrong or that we disagree with? Dube may have been acting young and stupid when he ran, and may have been in trouble before, but it does not mean his death should be celebrated or that he deserved it. And just because the police officer stupidly jumped over the wall right along with him, and some people don't like law enforcement, doesn't mean he should have fallen to his death also. Geez people, these are fellow human beings here.
Nick,
"It would be really interesting to know what this guy had done, and after that see if you think if he deserved to die."
Doesn't matter at all what the kids' history is. By his own choice, he jumped. No one threatened him, pushed him or in anyway influenced him to run and jump. The cop had every right to do what he did because he was doing his job (of course che won't agree with this but who cares what he thinks). The kid could have chosen otherwise but didn't.
Tragic but you can't excuse stupid.
Richard,
How can you assume the kid was stupid? Canada might have really strict curfew laws. The kid might have really strict parents. Or .... never mind .... the kid was stupid.
Che, you might want to rein it in a bit. The kid did a dumb thing and paid the ultimate price for it. The officer was just doing his job. There was no mentioned of shots fired, police brutality, etc.
For someone who says they have never knowingly broken the law, you seem to harbor a great deal of resentment toward the police, while bemoaning the fact we're becoming a police state.
Try to connect the dots.
we all know the the cop's are bully's and will harass you at the drop of a hat just to satisfy there own ego's....when the boy jumped the fence the pursuit should have stopped...the officer knows where he lives he can go there later if necessary to finish the interrogation....no need to effectively kill the boy just for not wanting to be harassed
@Che....
You are responsible for making your own decisions in life... Those decisions either help you, hurt you, or kill you... The kid made his own decision to ge in trouble with the law.. Nobody forced him to be on probation other than himself. It was the kids decision to run away... hence getting himself killed.. The police officer was doing his job, which 99% of us want them to do.
The guy who was shot and killed out in CA was hanging with another 'friendy gang member who shot at the police'... It was his decision to hang with others that can lead up to getting himself killed... It was his decision.. which ended up getting himself killed.
Please learn what being a responsible person, who makes responsible decisions means before spouting nonsense.
I'm sorry but this is life and YOU are responsible for YOUR own desicions.
Hang out with friend who shoot at cops, then run from them.... can lead to death.. Why... what did YOU expect? duhhh
the good news. cop suffers broken legs. bad news. another one of our fellow humans die. if you are hateful conservative, cop, politcan. flip the good and bad around.
@ Davidaja,
I would expect an response from the people I am speaking about.
As you can see by the votes, there aren't many in the world which "could" be a good thing.
The 18 yr old kid was simply running from a cop (most probably worried about having his probation extended) and inadvertently gets killed and you're happy about that. You're one hell of a guy dude.
It's not like he raped or shot someone. It's simply stereotyping. Some kid runs from the cops and he may as well be a serial killer.
Have a nice day and apology accepted...
CD
Hey Wade, the chase did end after the kid jumped the fence.
@ Wade - as soon as he jumped over the wall, the kid was a goner. What exactly makes you think that if the cop hadn't jumped after him that it would have gone any differently? He fell into the water. Maybe the cop jumped because he KNEW it was dangerous and was trying to save the kid.
In any case, any loss of life is tragic, even when caused by one's own actions. If you disagree, then you must also be the kind of person who goes around telling all the people with cancer, diabetes and heart disease how 'stupid' they are, since 80% of those diseases are preventable with lifestyle changes.
@ JOHN........funny
@Jayberg ...... well DUUUUUUH
Uh, watch your step, son! Ohhhh, too late.....
Lots of comments restored, not these:
AtticusRules, Che Pajogwin, froggystylec, first rule:
You're each suspended for a day for violating #1 of the Code of Honor.
...
9 deleted, makes me wonder commenting on the commenters - 'what a bunch of idiots'.
11 deleted, Corporatism is Fascism calling someone - everyone? - 'a bunch of self-righteous, sanctimonious SOBs.'
You're each suspended for a day for violating #1 of the Code of Honor.
Cha Pajogwin: Really? I will refrain from name calling, but come on....
Ill bet the cop was trying to save the kids life,,,, waht a bummer---gotta stop reading the news before i get depressed and end up on meds and zombified
That was my first thought marko.
My first thought was the Police Officer was most likely caught up in the chase and he wasn't paying attention to where he was.
And the suspect was probably running because of something other than a simple curfew violation - he'd either done something he thought the police knew about or he was carrying at the time.
Those half way houses are a joke. theyn are operated by private contractors for a huge profit. Here in NJ the govenor's buddies runs the company overseeing them and they had over 500 walkaways. Recently one walked out and killed his girlfriend. they are a joke. What good are they is the "residents" can come and go as they please?
Like what? Some marijuana?
So basically this cop kills this teenager (by chasing him) over curfew.
Get rid of the over zealous cop who was not aware of (and should have been )
of his surroundings.
Get rid of him !!
He is the responsible one in this. He knew he was chasing a child about a curfew violation.
BTW, there are a lot of sik FF's commenting here that the cop was justified.
He wasn't justified for killing a kid for CURFEW !
Must be cop trrolls.
Lee1447916 Just shows what kind of a sick twisted piece of sh!t you are. The kid made a bad choice, end of story.
Lee: Miss the reading comprehension class? You have no idea why this cop was chasing the kid. For all we know the kid was caught trying to jack a car; it's apparent he had a troubled past. Or perhaps you'd rather have all cops sit in the donut shop while crime happens all around them? They're supposed to chase perpetrators.
And btw, he wasn't even a kid but an adult in the eyes of the law.
Oops, my fail. Guess I missed the reading comprehension class, too. The cop stopped the teenager to question him over curfew, but we still don't know why he chased him. You'd think running away from law enforcement would be way worse on his record than busting curfew.
Lee (#2.5): you obviously fail to see the bigger picture. Dube was on probation, and the officer wanted to question him about his curfew because he was in violation of his probation. Who knows what he was doing while out, but those curfews are in place to make sure the person is not participating in any illegal activities, and are a condition of release from jail. Whether you like that the officer had to do his job and question him about it is not the point; when someone runs, they get chased as it makes them look guilty of something. Dube chose to run when it would have been so easy to have a conversation instead. The officer is not at fault for Dube's stupidity and is certainly not responsible for his death; he made his own choices.
Lee-1447916
So basically this cop kills this teenager (by chasing him) over curfew.
Ummm sure......Just like you are running your mouth without knowing all the facts.....right?
hahahah......AG99 that was funny......
According to Lee-1447916, we should out law running.
People wat to ban guns because they kill, so we should ban running because it killed this kid.
Stupid.
lee-144,
"So basically this cop kills this teenager (by chasing him) over curfew."
When, just when, are people like you going to place blame where it belongs?! The stupid kid broke curfew, knew he broke it and still chose to be out when he shouldn't have been. THAT is the primary cause of the kids unfortunate death, NOT the cops chasing him.
If the cop was trying to save the kid, I guarantee you they would have said that in the report instead of leaving the whole situation shrouded in mystery. They'd want to make the officer look as good as they could.
Killed for violating curfew, thats how I interpret this. I am so tired of people dying for such stupid actions so a cop can get a promotion. The TEENAGER was probably running so he didnt get sent to a worse place over a STUPID violation!
There is no mercy for anyone in the current system of law, UNLESS you kill a whole bunch of people then you can get sent somewhere that can treat you with the "KINDNESS" and "MERCY" you deserve.
How much you wanna bet that Holmes punishment is less severe than this teens would have been!
Lee-1447916 - don't be an IDIOT. this cop didn't 'kill' a kid over a curfew. the kid 'killed' HIMSELF. the cop was probably trying to save him when he jumped over the ledge after him. but blaming this cop for doing his job? inexcusable. what would people have said if the cop just stood there when the kid took off? he would've looked like a slacker. what if he had let the kid run off and then the kid committed a crime against someone? he would've lost his job for not giving chase. for all he knew the kid could've been running because he was carrying a gun or something. and letting him go without giving chase would've been complete negligence on the cop's part.
Non-first gen =( uh.....the cop broke his leg badly enough to be airlifted to a trauma center. this was only 2 days ago, my guess is that the officer is unable to answer questions about this yet. he likely had to have surgery to repair his broken leg and medical procedures like that are a VERY big deal and the person is out of it for awhile afterward.
So he may have been trying to save the kid's life when he jumped over the rail after him and we just don't know it yet because of his injuries. Either way it doesn't matter, he did the right thing chasing a probation violator.
onlyyoucanchangethelaws,
A person only runs if they have something to hide. The kid made a bad choice and the result of his own decision led to his death. It wasn't the cops fault, he didn't make the kid run and jump over the wall.
Lee, the kid killed himself. For all we know the cop jumped the wall to see if he could save the kid. Get off your anti-police high horse. I feel bad for the family and friends of this kid but he was stupid to run. You can't turn your life around by committing a crime then running from the authorities. What happened was a tragedy but it's entirely the kids fault.
Your interpretation skills suck.
I agree but does curfew laws apply to an 18yo? Sorry but it's the kids fault the cop didn't force him to jump the wall, Cops are not my friends nor are they my enemy and it's really annoying that everytime some idiot screws up somehow authorities are to blame EVERYONE is responsible for their own actions and the consequences those actions cause, good or bad AND it's not the presidents fault or any past or future presidents
The kid was known to the police officer to be on probation. As a condition of his probation, he had a curfew. He was out past curfew, so the cop stopped and asked him why. Thats when the kid ran.
Lee 144 - are the police not supposed to chase law breakers? What will your reaction be when some punk mugs a granny and steals her purse and the cope just let him get away by saying "Oh, but he ran. We can't chase people."?
onlyyoucanchangethelaws - You're interpreting it wrong. He was killed because he jumped over a retaining wall and fell into Niagara gorge. He jumped because he was running from the police. he was running from the police because he was in violation of his probation and he knew it.
An 18 year old lost his life because of something stupid. We can all agree on that. However, we need to stop putting the blame on people doing their jobs and place the blame squarely where it belongs. And in this case, it belongs on the shoulders of Ryan Dube. His bad choice to violate his probation was the cause of the whole incident. I'm sorry the boy died, but it was his own fault, after all.
Kai, there are many reasons people run. Health, being late, and how about FEAR. Many, MANY cops are power-hungry d*ckheads.
Looks like you should put the FAIL label on your own forehead
For those who are saying the kid was "killed" because of the cop or curfew, you might want to note he "committed suicide" in that he was responsible for his own death. The cop did not throw him over the wall or off the cliff; he did it himself. If the kid would have held still and answered questions, he would have been alive; possibly in jail (again), but alive. Maybe we should nominate him for a Darwin award! He certainly has the requirements for that one.
I highly doubt the incident was over a curfew when it happened at 5 pm. Occasionally missing curfew at the youth home doesn't seem to be linked to this particular event.
This article gives no clue what was the reason for the chase.
Kris, The police officer was trying to speak to the young man about his curfew violations while he was on probation. It is in the article...
It clearly states the officer stopped him for questioning regarding violations (plural) of his curfew that was a condition of his probation. Apparently it wasn't one single incident.
Thanks for pointing out what I missed. I need to scroll down the page more slowly when I read in the future.
enuf-uuu (#2.22): Running from a cop for your health? I don't think speaking with an officer for any reason would have any adverse affect on your health. Taking off, however, could result in some injuries... Running from an officer because you're late?! I'm pretty sure that would make you not only late, but absent altogether... And finally, running in fear? People who have done nothing wrong don't just run away in fear, unless they are looking to become criminals. It's called common sense; whether there is a power-hungry police officer or a regular one makes no difference. So the epic fail award would go to the one who runs, period.
Lee-1447916, you're each suspended for a day for violating #1 of the Code of Honor.
COmommy, I didn't write that people run from cops for their health, but since you twisted my works, tell that to Rodney King (if you could) or others that have been beaten by cops.
Tell that to my friend who was stopped by a d-bag cop who was smacking his billy-club in the palm of his hand at a woman who can't even run.
You won't understand until you receive that sort of treatment yourself.
I wonder if the cop landed on him?
enuf-uuu: Well, I went back and re-read your post, and didn't twist anything. You said: "...there are many reasons people run. Health, being late, and how about FEAR." Anyway, while I think what happened to Rodney King was very unfortunate and extreme, I find it strange that you used to him as an example since he did, in fact, run from the police himself first. He refused to pull over while driving drunk and a pursuit ensued... Anyway, as for your friend, I have no idea what the circumstances surrounding that are, but obviously there are going to be rare occurrences that aren't the norm and yes you will find your bad apples in a bunch; there are officers that can be jerks. But what does that have to do with the talk about running?
I agree with "DevlsAdvacut". One less punk. In and out of trouble with the law, and he was making progress?????? One less we have to pay for, or for that matter, one less the could possibly pick up a gun in the future and kill others! Too bad for the cop, I hope he recovers well. I doubt he was going over the wall to try and save-he was in pursuit! Good on him.
For curfew ?! You're a sikk F !
Man, you are just plain stupid. There's no other word for it.
Cat herder
One less you have to pay for? So does that mean you live in Canada? or did you even read the article?
@ Lee ... The officer stopped him for curfew and the kid ran. He didn't chase him over curfew....he chased him because he ran! Question is ...why did this kid run over curfew?? my guess is that he was guilty of something worse than curfew and didn't want to get caught. When the criminals run, the cops don't just say "oh well, i guess he got away"...they pursue them!!! I believe its against the law to evade an officer. Its sad that his choices led to his death and sad that the officer risked his life doing his job. Oh wait that's what officers do every day fighting criminals! Here's a suggestion....obey the law and you don't have to worry about it!!!
'
lee-144,
Just ain't gonna get it are you. Curfew was not the issue; running from the police was.
Curfew AND a possible parole violation. Man, do so few people bother to read before flapping their electonically powered gums? I agree with the "one less punk statement".
Ok, and I meant to type PROBATION......that's what I get. :)
One less punk?! We need one less cat herder!
Lee is just plain stupid! Don't engage with these trolls who only want to cause a verbal scene! They sit in their dark basement in front of their computer, looking for articles to comment on. My guess is he is too scared to come out of the dark and this is the only fun he gets!
It makes me laugh to see all the ranting that starts with a stupid jerk (based on his comments) who probably just enjoys stirring up the pot! HaHa
That said, sorry it had to happen, but a lot of silly people run before thinking of the consequences and it ended up badly. Would NOT have happened if he just responded to the police officer when he attempted to question him. Original violation does not matter at all. Police have the right and the responsibility to question if it is under their jurisdiction and they see a violation for WHATEVER!
I'm not a cop, but believe very much in law and order.
I have been roughed up by cops several times for NO reason other than being there.
I have had their guns pointed at me, tasers too. I have never resisted. I have had cars searched and they found nothing. I have never tested positive for alcohol or drugs in my life.
I was even accused of having heroin, I had aspirin, and a girlfriends antibiotics prescription in my car. I was arrested and taken to a hospital for testing. My car was towed. They took 4 vials of blood, and after several hours released me with an apology from the hospital staff, but not the police.
He did not believe that the aspirin were just aspirin. The "heroin" was modeling clay in my pocket from work, the anti-biotics he said was a felony because they were not in my name and I was in possession of them.
I was pissed off, late for work without a call ( my ph was now dead) , and my car ( truck actually ) was at an impound. I couldn't get my truck for four more hours because it was 16+ miles away, and I had to borrow $420.00 to get it out.
My only offense: I was stuck in a snow covered ditch between cornfields. I had pulled over to answer a call, and the ditch was deep, but filled with snow with a fresh dusting on top. I couldn't see it when I pulled over.
They agreed to drop the charges on the anti-biotics "felony charge". I was stuck with a $1,700 bill from the hospital, and the $420.00 I had to pay back to my friend as well.
My boss was pissed as hell, I missed a very important meeting with 7 engineers; do you really think he wanted to hear that story ? I had to tell him it was a personal emergency.
Cops; and they wonder why so many people hate them.
Moral of the story is not to run from law enforcement. This is too bad he had to pay with his life.
He was not turning his life around! He was breaking the law by violating his cerfew. He had already been given a break by being put on probation instead of being locked up & just spit in society's face. Guess he won't do that again.
My thoughts exactly, guess running from the cops is the new term for turning your life around.
Wow, tough crowd! Pretty sad that you think he deserved to die because he was out later than he should have been. Are any of you human?
Well, the law-and-order, hang-'em-high crowd is out early today, I see.
I'll bet there will be little sympathy expressed here for this kid, even though we don't know what he was in jail for in the past. It could be petty larceny or even less serious offenses. Of course, even more serious crimes are no reason for him to die this way.
Perhaps he was fleeing the officer because he simply didn't want to go back to jail. It's sad this happened just for a possible curfew violation.
It's possible the officer was trying to save the kid. But it seems more likely that he just didn't want the suspect to get away after disobeying his order. We've seen this happen many times with car chases by officers, who pursue suspects no matter the possible damage and loss of life the chases could cause. Thankfully, many police departments put a stop to that--probably on the advice of the city lawyers worried about big court judgments.
The officer was doing hs job, The kid created the situation that resulted in the loss of his own life and while it is tragic that this kid lost his life it was not because the officer chased him it was because he decided that he was above the law, No one forced this kid to run, He chose that option.
High speed pursuit guidelines have resulted in one thing...More people choosing to flee from the police at high speeds because they think that once they go fast enough that police will be forced to break off the chase, It is not the police that are causing these people to flee resulting in the injuries and deaths to innocent bystanders, It is the criminals behind the wheel, The sad fact is that many of these people are not criminals until they choose to flee, Many ahave simply committed minor traffic violations but they themselves make the conscious decision to flee, They are the one responsible for their actions and whatever happens afterwards.
I can see it now...The parents of this kid will be suing because they claim the police caused his death by chasing him on foot. This will result in a new Low speed foot pursuit policy.
Sparrow, how did you come to the conclusion that anyone said the kid deserved to die because he was out too late?He died because he chose to repeatedly break the law, then again when he made another bad choice to run from the law. He compounded these bad calls with another when he willingly chose to jump into the Niagara Gorge. When anyone continues to make bad decisions, sooner or later they will catch up to them. Sorry anyone had to die but NO ONE said he deserved to die simply because he chose to stay out too late.
Stop making excuses for idiots. Just because he didn't want to go back to jail is no reason to run, and certainly not a reason to stop chasing him. Letting punks go only reinforces their bad behavior. This was the last in a string of bad decisions. Think about this; if the punk hadn't run, maybe the cop wouldn't be in serious condition with a badly fractured leg. His career is probably over.
So be it Bill the officer chose to jump the rail, a decision he made on his own that possibly ended his career.
"We've seen this happen many times with car chases by officers, who pursue suspects no matter the possible damage and loss of life the chases could cause."
Huh? You've been watching way too many movies dude.
The officer didn't "chose" to jump the rail. He was chasing a criminal. He CHOSE to do his job! Officers put their lives in danger every day to try and make it safe for the rest of us. This wasn't some little kid afraid of getting grounded, he knew he was in trouble and instead of taking responsibility for himself, he ran, putting himself and others in danger. One persons actions end up hurting many others besides themselves.
My thoughts and prayers go out to the officer and his family and for the family of the kid that died. Its horrible to lose a child under any circumstances. Thanks to this officer and all officers who risk their lives by making sure that people obey the law.
dan-542,
Since when is "Perhaps he was fleeing the officer because he simply didn't want to go back to jail." acceptable?!!!
Good Grief, Charlie Brown!
All this over a curfew violation? I think they should put that cop on desk duty if he doesn't have enough common sense to establish what is on the other side of the retaining walls he jumps, however he sounds like the type who might nearly bled to death from a paper cut.
Yes it is sad that this kid would choose to do something that resulted in the loss of his life simply because he thought he was above the law.
He may have went over the wall in an attempt to rescue the kid after he saw him jump over it, Or he might have simply made a mistake, We will not know until the officer makes a statement about this.
And you deducted this how,What type can you deduct he sounds like from reading this short article, What stupid comment, This officer survived , He had a broken leg but he survived, I think a broken leg is a bit more serious than a paper cut and he did not bleed to death.
Please go back and read the article again. Very slowly.
Cop was probably so fat that he bounced when he hit the bottom and thus lived.
It'd be cooler if the cop plunged to his death for chasing after a young kid just for being out after curfew.
This continent is quickly spiraling into a police state. Cops ruthlessly shooting unarmed civilians or chasing them to their deaths from coast-to-coast. People are waking up slightly though, like in Anaheim, CA and Dallas, TX. Hopefully more will join and the strangle hold of the North American police state can be loosened.
I'm willing to bet the kid was in jail for smoking pot.
Well Che old girl, that is the pic of a female by your name I am guessing. "In and out of Jail", perhaps your drug induced state didn't allow for you to understand the "kid", was violating his PAROLE CONDITIONS. Those of you that must wear long sleeves to cover up your TRACK marks, from your mind altering, unlawful habits against societies laws are the ones that cause "KIDS" like this to join the dregs of society....against society. So, pretty much save your vitral rhetoric, the law abiding people that support an organized society, along with it's own problems, incurred in protecting society from those of your culture, we are hoping you find your own "WALL" to hop over. That will save us a lot of expense in dealing with your kind. But, you do have the right to your opinion, no matter how misguided, or altered by some substance that leads you to believe you are relevant.
It would have been "cooler" if the kid would not have run and instead explained to the cop why he had chosen to violate his curfew, Who knows maybe the cop would have just given him a warning and told him to get back inside, It would have been really "cooler" if neither one had been killed/injured but unfortunately the kid made the decision to run and jump the wall,
Well regardless of what you are willing to bet , The simple facts are this kid was on probation and subject to a curfew for violating the law and he chose to violate that curfew.
It is a tragedy that he died but he is alone responsible for that.
Hey Che, how tight is that tinfoil hat? Way too? Yeah, thought so too. It would have been cooler if you had a stroke from it.
Without jumping to any conclusions, it is certainly safe to say the kid was an idiot for jumping the fence and dying. When I was young, I knew guys who fled the cops at times, but none of them were this stupid. Most of them got away, too, but the ones who didn't got their asses handed to them.
fyrboss: It clearly states in the article that the child was on PROBATION, not parole. But if you had any decent reading comprehension skills, you'd have realized that before making an idiotic reply. Also, the article states that kid was in a YOUTH HOME, you know who lives in youth homes right? In case you're still racking your two brain cells together for an answer, kids live in youth homes.
I've not done any drugs in my life. Even if I had done so, I'd still be smart enough to realize that the "War on Drugs" is a complete and utter failure and that this continent is pretty much the world's largest police state.
Have you checked the numbers on the incarceration rate per capita of the US and Canada as compared to the rest of the world lately? Oh right, you're short on comprehension skills. Continue on your way, nothing to see here... until you're the one running.
You know Che,
I can see you're on here to argue. You are flamboyant with calling people foolish little "child" names and acting like you know it all and they don't know what they're talking about.
Keep it up and you'll only be making enemies.
Have a nice day.
cops really do need to prioritize who theyre going after and why theyre going after someone. Being in pursuit of a teenager for breaking a curfew...REALLY!!!??? Killers drug makers drug distributors rapists child molesters those are the ones you should be making a serious effort to take off the streets...not a curfew breaker!!! And the cop broke his leg in the pursuit...was that worth it?
Silly police officer, why chase after someone(on foot) simply because he has violated a law that Bill Stewart thinks should not be enforced, heck, Why have silly laws that result in punishments like curfews anyway, Bill Stewart thinks they are silly.
I'm not saying that he shouldn't have chased the runner (that's his job), but the cop should have been a little more aware of his surrounding and a little less thoughtless about the pursuit. It's like a child chasing a ball into the middle of traffic.
So there is some magic crystal ball for officers to see what the offender will do next??
The kid was stupid in the first place to run--it will only make things worse no mater what the cops find on you or what you are doing wrong.
The cop WAS probably trying to save the kid.
Man, so many people are so ready to judge both the kid and the cop! Shocking when you think about it.
The boy who died was a teenager. There is a reason that juvenile law is different from adult law. Teen brains are proven to work differently, and so teens are more impulsive and just plain stupid about common sense things. And 18 is not a magical age, the human brain is not fully connected until about age 25.
No one making comments here know why the kid was in the group home. Maybe he had a horrible home life. Maybe he smoked pot. Maybe he in fact did commit a violent crime. No one knows from the news story. Just as no one knows why the police constable went over the wall after the kid.
I think people should not jump to conclusions and make blanket judgments without knowing the facts.
While I agree with most of your comments about leaping to judgement I do disagree with your comments about age, This kid was 18 and in most countries in the world 18 is considered an adult, By the time a person reaches the age of 18 they are considered old enough to drive(some places as early as 15)they are old enough to vote, They are old enough to go to war, They are old enough to work at a job, They are old enough to get married and have children and raise a family, They are old enough to borrow money and they are old enough to know the difference between right and wrong.
Agreed!
It has been statistically proven that, even though they're considered an adult at 18, they're rational thinking as an adult doesn't kick in until they're 23 yrs old in a majority of cases.
The maybe we should just change the laws so that they are not considered an adult until they are 23, No driving, No voting, No marriage, No wars, No children ,No college,no jobs, No responsibilities at all.
Our society keeps trying to reduce what its citizens are responsible for, At the age of 14 I was working part time , at the age of 18 I was off in a foreign country fighting is a war, At the age of 22 I was working full time saving money to get married,buy a home and start a family.
People want to be given responsibilities for things but never want to take responsibility for things when they happen
Lost, yes you are correct that at 18 they are "legally" allowed to do all you mentioned. But the fact is, their brains are NOT adult functioning for the most part. I have a 27 year old daughter that "grew up" at age 25. My 23 year old son is finally out of that teen functioning stage but is not out of the woods yet. However, they have not been in "legal" trouble but possibly could have been at some point for bad choices that they no longer make. Thankfully, they have made it through the tough teen years and are more mature. Making better decisions.
I do believe with proper education and upbringing, as well as the environment they are in, is the biggest factor of how teens act. I see so many 17-18 yr. olds being disrespectful, mouthy & acting too big for their britches that are heading down the wrong path. Not making it to "adult-hood" due to choices that obviously they are making without adult supervision. (That or the adults in their lives have continued down the wrong path and are horrible role models)
Once we allowed the gov't to take "God" out of our schools and lives, children don't have the opportunity to accept Him in their lives because parents are too "busy, tired or lazy" to get involved in Christian activities. I know of many young people that have NEVER been to church, bible school or taught about God that when invited to attend with me, they thrive on knowledge of the Bible.
24 was the age of adult until after the civil war when these kids came back and pushed for the same rights as adults since they fought in battle. The only reason they brought 18 year old into the military was because they are easily persuaded and their tolerance levels high and could go on short amount of sleep. They consider them adults at 18, send the off to war, but yet they are not mature enough to be allowed alcohol.
http://www.squidoo.com/TeenagersNearAdultOrNearChild
My 9 year old knows right from wrong! Don't excuse his bad behavior because of his age. There are consequences with every action and this kid knew what he was doing was wrong or he wouldn't have run. He had been in trouble with the law before and he knew the rules. Bad home life doesn't excuse bad behavior either. I've known plenty of people that have had bad home lives and chose not to break the law, I've known people with good home lives that chose to break the law. This kid knew right from wrong and he chose to disobey. It is tragic that it cost him his life.
Homesick,
"The boy who died was a teenager. There is a reason that juvenile law is different from adult law."
Try this on for legal size: At age 17 you are a child as defined by law. At 18 you are an adult, again as defined by law.
grmasissa;
"Lost, yes you are correct that at 18 they are "legally" allowed to do all you mentioned. But the fact is, their brains are NOT adult functioning for the most part. I have a 27 year old daughter that "grew up" at age 25."
You are absoluetly correct, some people mature later then others BUT that has NO BEARING on their legal status. Your daughter, at age 24 and not mature, could have very well broken the law. She still would have be culpable in the eyes of the law.
Richard,
Then why do I read a lot about a 15, 16 and or 17 year old being tried as an adult in certain judicial cases? Possibly the severity of the case?
Creek Dog,
Could very well be the case. For example, a child (14 thru 17) kills another child or adult by whatever means. That child will not be prosecuted as an adult. The same child kills his Mother, adult or another child, dismembers the body and eats part of the victums' brain. Under those circumstances yes, the child would be tried as an adult.
Probation terminated.
he was trying to run away from the mental torture of the church phuching up his brain with fairy tales
I see with have here a hypocrite that thinks that the world should respect their right to not believe in god but feels they have a right to not respect people who do believe in god.
There is nothing in this article having to do with god or church, It is about a kid who lost his life because he fled from the police.
Go peddle your hate somewhere else because no one is buying it.
PS, Do not bother to respond because you have been placed on ignore.
Wow, hate much, magnetjim?
Talk about a chip on your shoulder WEW!
"He was pursuing the suspect but for some reason, and this is probably strange to most people around here, is why the officer would have jumped over the wall too knowing how dangerous it is there. It’s kind of a mystery,"
Just maybe he was trying to save the kid's life.
And just maybe, the kid was trying to commit suicide.
Glad the officer lived.
There was absolutely no reason for the cop to be chasing this kid..the cop had to have known how dangerous this area is..so what the kid broke curfew..nab him another time..I like to think that we have a pretty good police system here in Canada however I have to say this has to be a stupid move on their part..
Hey Heaven, try reading. The kid had a curfew because he was incarcerated in a half hay house. you don't get there by being as good kid. They walk out of the half way house, commit crimes and walk back in.
Wrong, The kid(he was 18 and an adult) was in violation of the law and police officers are supposed to apprehend people who violate the law
The officer may or may not have know that it was a dangerous area but I am sure they cop did not know the kid(adult) was going to jump over a wall and plunge to his death.
I would like to think you do too and I am not even from Canada, However there is no "stupid move on their part" because there is no their, This was the actions of one ploice officer and one kid(adult) The offficer observed an individual in violation of the law and went to apprehend him, The individual fled and jumped over a wall and plunged to his death, It is wrong to think that the officer could have anticipated that the individual was going to jump over the wall, Further we do not have all the facts but a short article, It is unknown if the officer went over the wall in an attempt to save the individual or just did not realize where he was and how dangerous it was.
heavenandearth - the area isn't dangerous, its the jumping over a wall without knowing whats on the other side that's dangerous...
froggy - you got it right, whats that old saying? Oh yeah LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP! :)
Both of these dummies would've been wise to remember that. One Darwin and one honorable mention.
As to why the cop jumped makes you wonder too, even if he thought he could save him better to asses the situation since he would not know the boy's condition. Eitherway if it was only a curfew violation it wasn't worth his life or the cops but he should not of ran. Just another sad story about a life wasted. Condolences to his parents.
It is time
heavenandearth...so let's get this straight. A cop stops someone (even as simple as a curfew violation), and the person runs. Your thought are that the cops should allow them to run, not chanse...and just pick them up "another time"? The cops are supposed to trust that this person is not running for a serious reason (carrying a gun or other weapon, having fled a crime, etc)? If this story had a different ending...the cop let him run away, the "kid" escaped and robbed a store and killed someone that same evening...you know, while the cops were waiting to run into him again while twiddeling their thumbs...would you not be upset that the cops had done nothing to apprehend this guy? How do you know, based on the little informtion provided in the story, that the "kid" wasn't guilty of something larger?
Exactly!
heaven,
"There was absolutely no reason for the cop to be chasing this kid...". Seriously?!!! Probation curfew and running from the police certainly are reasons for chasing the kid.
Bad boy bad boy what you gonna do what you gonna do when they come for you........ Hope the cop is ok. Dad your delinquent was not making progress he was still screwing up until he got caught. If he was this much trouble at this age he was going to go on to bigger trouble, you get what you ask for.
What's wrong with a society that applauds the loss of life?
I doubt that at this point very many people know the answer to that question.
Bring in the Gladiators!
Our socieity is so saturated with blood and guts at every turn that we've become numb to it.
I was watching the movie *Stand by me* with my teen grandson who laughed at the dead body scene. He asked why the *boys* in the movie were puking after seeing the body and said "I'd of kicked him and laughed at the idiot."
Welcome to souless America.
3rd,
Throw your teen grandson under the bus much? Starts with the parents and ends with the kids actions. In other words "your child who raised your grandson."
There are all kinds and always have been.
You have the Soulless, the bullies, the educated and kind, the simply dumb etc... I can go on forever.
Good riddance to the teen. Now he can't embark on a life of crime. I hated to hear that the police office was injured.
This sentiment has been in many posts... Now he can't embark on a life of crime... so- it is better to kill or have people die that may do something worse than they already have done, or even people we may think will do something wrong in the future.
This really skirts on crazy! It is kind of like "stand your ground" where if you "feel" threatened... you can use deadly force. Do you realize how crazy things would be if "we punished people because we thought they might do something?"
Nick; consider this, if every gang banger punk decided to commit suicide at age 18... within 1 generation we wouldn't even require a police force, and far fewer lawyers. As an individual a loss of life is tragic, as a society, the loss of a criminal is a bonus.
Good riddance??? Seriously Shark??? He may have been a criminal but he was still someones child, brother, friend, grandson. There are many people hurting today because of this kids bad choice. Yes, his actions were stupid and wrong but his family doesn't deserve this
I would like to believe that members of the citizenry of "The Greatest Country on Earth" are able to retain a more sophisticated position, and work to realize a more constructive course than the one you suggest.
Dumb and Dumber.
Parents can be blind. "he was making good progress .....turning his life around." Yeah, right. He must have been a punk to be in a youth home and on probation. Strike one. He didn't get the message and violated his parole. Strike two. He ran from the cops and jumped into the Niagara gorge. Strike three. You're out!
The constable is no genius either. If you grew up in the area you know damn well not to jump over railing without looking.
running didn't quite work this time...cop not real bright either...
Dumb and dumber? I guess! Wow, how tragic for the boys family. But you've got to admit that, if you visualize this happening, you can see a ROADRUNNER cartoon here? As for the boy-that's what he is-a boy that makes mistakes the same as i did when i was a boy. So those of you that are without sin may throw stones.
Dumb kid to run from a cop and dumber cop to jump a wall into the gourge over a *curfew*.
3rdparty...the cop didn;t jump a wall because of a "curfew". He jumped the wall because he was in pursuit of someone who ran from the cops.
It's sad that he died for violation of his curfew. So young and tragic. He had his whole life ahead of him . Sad for him and the cop.
"He had his whole life ahead of him." From the article, sounds like it would have been a life of crime. Sad but true.
Maybe if people would remember that consequences yielded by legal mechanisms of correction are supposed to be that- to change people... and there was a real effort by society to understand this and an effort by the system to do this, we wouldn't be so sure that someone being subject to these mechanisms would be a lifelong criminal, but would in-fact be better after being subject to them. The system doesn't work... if you don't agree... then... wow!
The "system" is supposed to deter crime by punishing criminals. By that standard, I would agree, the system does not work - it used to work much better a long time ago, but what with molly coddling criminals nowadays, it is not much of a deterrent anymore, sad to say.
Maybe the "system" would work if they actually punished the criminals instead of giving them excuses to their behavior. Right is right and wrong is wrong, this action leads to this consequence....there would be far less criminal activity if people were held accountable for their actions.
WOW...Our prisons and jails changed from Penal institutions to Correctional facilities in the 1950-60's and it has been all downhill since then, We no longer penalize people we attempt to correct their actions, This has been an epic failure and is why our prisons sorry I meant correctional facilities are full, The prisoners sorry I meant inmates..sorry again I meant offenders have more rights than the people they have victimized. Our society has somehow come to the conclusion that if someone commits a crime that somehow society has failed that person and it really was not their faults and they were just a victim of circumstances.
I say bull$hit, We have more repeat offenders than ever before, They can not be rehabilitated and even if they did they do not want to be.
When we go back to penalizing people for committing crimes then we will reduce crime.
Don't try to tag me as being some sort of PC whack.
I guess you missed my point and that is... our correctional facilities (that is what they are called) are not succeeding in rehabilitating people... because they do not seem to be enabled to do so properly... and why bother. As we have seen from posts on here and as we see in real life- there is no real incentive to change. Let us just say you did something wrong, "payed your debt to society," when you get out you will still be demonized and cannot be an equal citizen again. If I ever had a felony and had to face society outside after prison... well... I could see the pressure not to participate it in an acceptable manner- basically because you cannot.
Im surprised the police even pursued him. Canada laws are so soft that if the kid would have just stopped the cop would have given him a box of craker jacks.
The cops has to, what if the kid had a gun and ended up killing you with it or someone in your family?
Average Guy, The kid ran for a reason whether carrying something (drugs gun) etc. which is a very good possibility or the fact that the terms of his probation were violated and he could have been sent to jail ie. curfew. We will just have to wait and see if there is any follow up story. Nothing to jump to your death for though. Some here are calling the cop Dumb. Could there be the possibility that the cop knew the hazard and tried to save the kid risking his life? It was Ill bet a split decision the cop had to make. Hopefully we will find out.
Kids these days don't think there will be any repercussions for bad and/or illegal behavior. It cost this boy his life. Perhaps if parents were more knowledgeable about raising children we wouldn't have such a problem. Kids don't come with instructions, though. Or maybe we are in a period in society where we spare the rod and spoil the child. My heart goes out to the parents.
You are so right about sparing the rod and spoling the child,
Soooo many kids are raised today with little or no responsibility or accountability. Then we wonder why we are no having a growing problem with some of our youth.
Sparing the rod and spoiling the child.
Unfortunately the past has shown that using the rod led to abusive punishment. Sparing the rod has currently led to children who KNOW that parents can't lay a hand on them so there are no consequences for a childs' negative actions.
If parents could be educated as to what kind and amount of punishment fits the crime then we should return to the past. But I doubt that that will really happen because people come in all kinds of different mindsets.