Sea death officer is charged
A coast guard officer was charged with manslaughter through negligence yesterday after a man whom he had shot died of a heart attack caused by loss of blood and severe shock, according to authorities. The victim, aged 48, was one of three people traveling on a speedboat off the coast of Chios on Sunday night. According to the coast guard, the speedboat captain failed to follow instructions to stop for an inspection, prompting the officer to fire several warning shots, one of which hit the victim in the arm. A chase between the two followed, resulting in the speedboat crashing into another vessel before coming to a stop. The man was taken to a hospital but died shortly afterward, while the other two men were arrested. The two passengers had told authorities that they were attacked by the coast guard patrol boat without any warning. Coast guard officers have defended their colleague’s actions, saying that he followed regular procedure.
