The case of Michelle O’Connell’s death in St. Augustine casts light on wanton police misconduct when investigating domestic violence allegations involving members of their ranks. While it remains unclear whether Michelle’s death resulted from suicide or homicide, the truth is that St Augustine Police handled the incident inappropriately. The misconduct is evident right from Sergeant Faircloth unconventionally interviewing the chief suspect – Deputy Sherriff Jeremy Banks. First of all, Lieutenant Tom Quintieri is surprised by Faircloth’s prompt arrival at the scene, considering he came alone and without notice (Silber, 2013). Besides, Faircloth’s hastened decision to interview Jeremy in an uncanvassed setting, just two hours after the incident, illustrates a casual approach to an otherwise serious matter. St. John’s County Sheriff, David Shoar, is equally entangled in the unprofessionalism around Michelle’s death. Notably, the Sherriff closed the case a bit too early, even before sitting with the O’Connell family to find a reasonable closure. Judging Shoar’s decision to have close parties to Jeremy review Special Agent Rusty Rodgers’ official report, it is admissible to claim he was intentionally being complicit with the cases’ opaqueness. Furthermore, multiple forensic professionals wrote off Rusty’s findings as being flawed and immature. In allowing Jeremy to preview the incident report, the Sheriff, knowing well it is against the law, illustrated that Police authorities handled the matter casually. Though not mentioned, previewing the report could have given the accused a chance to interfere with investigations that ought to have been independent. Similarly, the problematic interpretation of the scar right at the top of the deceased’s right eyebrow sheds light on the police department’s unwillingness to conduct a worthwhile assessment of the incident. Notably, the Special Agent’s counterintuitive recollection that the gun recoiled forward points at a possible interference by the Sherriff. Jerry Findley’s explanation is much more believable; given that it approves the conventional wisdom of backward recoiling. More so, Findley’s rationale is in harmony with the tactical light’s direction, given that the recoil could not have caused the damage and lay upside down. While this is not to affirm that the incident was a homicide, mounting evidence from independent experts pokes holes in Police’s narrative.
In entirely disregarding the neighbour’s witness accounts, the Police displayed a lack of integrity because they were unwilling to incorporate the issue from all dimensions and stitch together all information. What is appalling is the Sherriff’s false accusation that they were marijuana smokers and, thus, were not in the right mind of state to contribute to the investigation. On the contrary, the Sherriff mentioned nothing about the neighbour’s accounts to the medical examiner Frederick Hobin. Considering that the women passed lie-detector tests, it is not surprising that either the Sherriff or someone had a hand in their witness accounts being ignored by the local prosecutor, R.J. Larizza. Police misconduct is also depicted Larizza’s objection to Dr. Hobin filing the case as a homicide, given his conviction by the weight of evidence. Likewise, professional leadership by Police lacks in Shoar’s objection to an independent investigation into the case. In fact, his remarks, “They will not find anything” in reference to the new task force set to take over the investigation implies a conflict of interest. In conclusion, A Death in St. Augustine is a classic example of Police misconduct, especially when investigating an incident involving one of their own. While concluding that Jeremy shot Michelle is equally insubstantial, the claim that St Johns County Police deliberately frustrated objective investigations holds. In standing in the way of justice, Police often send a contradictory picture in line with their values, mission, and commitment to justice. Above all, there should be a law barring Police departments from investigating a case that would raise potential conflicts of interest. Essentially, independent tribunals could handle incidences like the St Augustine death with transparency and objectivity.
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References
Silber, G., & Koughan, F. (2013). A Death in St. Augustine. PBS. Retrieved https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/death-in-st-augustine/
