Man pulled from pond after police chase
Updated: January 1, 2013
CHAMPAIGN -- A man was pulled from a pond after being chased by police. It happened on Tuesday afternoon just outside the Menard's on West Town Center Boulevard.
Police were called to a domestic disturbance at McAlister's. When they got there, the man involved took off running. Police chased him and he ran right onto the pond.
"He ran out onto the ice about fifty feet out, the officers said, and stood there," said Champaign Police Officer Tod Myers. "The officers tried to verbally tell him to come back and then the ice broke."
For several minutes, the man was able to hold his head above water. investigators said they couldn't save him right away because it was too dangerous.
"There were a lot of people yelling at us to go help him but it's still unsafe," said Myers. "You don't know how thick the ice is. It's not worth it to go out there and fall in the ice and then you have multiple people that you're trying to rescue."
Police said the pond is about 15 feed deep, not nearly shallow enough to stand in. After a while, the man went under. It took a dive team close to 15 minutes to pull him out. The man was taken to a hospital just as soon as they pulled him out of the water. He was unresponsive at the time. No word yet on the man's condition.
Police were called to a domestic disturbance at McAlister's. When they got there, the man involved took off running. Police chased him and he ran right onto the pond.
"He ran out onto the ice about fifty feet out, the officers said, and stood there," said Champaign Police Officer Tod Myers. "The officers tried to verbally tell him to come back and then the ice broke."
For several minutes, the man was able to hold his head above water. investigators said they couldn't save him right away because it was too dangerous.
"There were a lot of people yelling at us to go help him but it's still unsafe," said Myers. "You don't know how thick the ice is. It's not worth it to go out there and fall in the ice and then you have multiple people that you're trying to rescue."
Police said the pond is about 15 feed deep, not nearly shallow enough to stand in. After a while, the man went under. It took a dive team close to 15 minutes to pull him out. The man was taken to a hospital just as soon as they pulled him out of the water. He was unresponsive at the time. No word yet on the man's condition.
Comments
Don't get me wrong, Kinda D. My heart goes out to your family, because everyones life has value and I am sorry for your loss, but he was a criminal that day. Domestic disputes are crimes and running from the police is a felony. He made two mistakes that day, one of which tragically cost him his life, but to blame the police for his mistake is irresponsible. There just was no need to put officer's lives at risk so that there could be multiple deaths that day. End of story.
Christopher G.
January 3, 2013 at 3:03 pm
this man did not go under right away he fell in about 345 he did not go under for quite some time the police should have acted faster and there is a video posted were he went under as the rescue team was on their way out onto the pond i work near by and left just before this happened however many people at my job watched the entire thing and alot of the things i have been told really upset me
Dawn M.
January 2, 2013 at 7:20 pm
I was there. While people will argue and disagree with how the rescue people,(about two dozen) handled this situation, one thing is clear, no attempt was made to rescue this young man until he went under the water. They claimed they were waiting for equipment, but in the end, it was men tied to ropes that recovered him. The same way they could have saved him in the first place had they tried. And now I see they are lying about how long he was in the water and how long he was under before they got to him.
Tom R.
January 2, 2013 at 6:29 pm
"he made a mistake in running from the police. But, the mistake should have not cost him his life."
Sadly, some mistakes are VERY costly, including the lost of life.
There is no guarantee made by the cosmos that a mistake will not cost you your life.
Bressen N.
January 2, 2013 at 6:05 pm
I'm sorry to hear this happened. However, something is not sounding right...
1st - what 20yr old doesn't know how to at least tread water for 5-10 minutes, let alone maybe swim doggie-paddle or anything to save self?
2nd - if you are someone who actually knows that you CAN'T swim or tread water, then why on earth would you run out onto a pond when temperatures haven't been below freezing for a week. I mean, this isn't Canada or Norway where you can expect thick ice....
3rd, it seems odd that it took 15 mins to get him out. Fire & ambulance always respond quick when I need them, Champaign isn't that big to get across, what with multiple firehouses & ambulance facilities.
4th, I'd be interested to know what else was going on. I won't deny that his life had value, I don't know. But I have to wonder what else was going on, insofar as the guy ran on the ice not thinking about our warmish weather before sunday, why he wouldn't come back or get off ice, and how he couldn't somehow survive at least 10 minutes even in water once the ice broke.
Did he have other warrants? was he drunk? on drugs? or just misguided? did he have a medical condition like heart issue or disability?
Not sure, but there has to be more to this story than what we heard so far.
Bressen N.
January 2, 2013 at 6:01 pm
Well this is the worst thing that has happened in my family in a really long time. The young man that lost his life was my cousins son. His life did have value. For the police to stand there and watch him struggle and fight until his head went underwater was ridiculous. They were there for a domestic dispute not a criminal act. He was not a criminal, he was a kid. His life definitely had value. I am heartbroken for my cousin. To think that police officers are watching you struggle and fight for your life and they do nothing to help you. I'm sorry Christopher G. you should think more about your comments before you speak. He was NOT a criminal, he made a mistake in running from the police. But, the mistake should have not cost him his life. It is horrible, and Ronda C. I appreciate your sympathy and empathy for the sitaution. He did not have to die. They should have done more to save him. End of Story
Kinda D.
January 2, 2013 at 3:06 pm
Hindsight is always 20/20. The police are not supposed to put more lives at risk when the situation is unknown. It is real easy to call them idiots, but who was the idiot that ran out onto thin ice? Just because they weren't dumb enough to follow him out on the ice, doesn't mean they are idiots. The guy stood out there for a while before falling in, and had plenty of time to come back in before the ice broke. Maybe one of the people yelling at the police to go on the ice should have went out to helped and then they both could have gone to jail, but would have been either a hero for the few yelling and in jail with the guy, or both of them could have been pulled out by the dive team.
Christopher G.
January 2, 2013 at 7:59 am
I'm pretty sure the police and rescue people carry ropes with them. I have a friend that was there and she said they didn't try very hard to save him.
Ronda C.
January 2, 2013 at 5:27 am
I don't in any way think less of the rescue squad(any of them), but sometime arond 1 hour or so after the man went in the rescue team brought out an inflatable raft. Why did they not go out on that immeiately and grab him while he was still up?
Turpen T.
January 1, 2013 at 10:40 pm
I am sure the police had fire and rescue on the way. I doubt they could have went into Menards explained the situation for a rope in any faster manner than getting fire and rescue to the scene. The moral to the story don't run from the police
Linda B.
January 1, 2013 at 9:49 pm
The authorities said it wasn't safe to go out and save him! Throw the man a dang rope for heaven's sake! Geez, what are they a bunch of idiots? Your right in front of Menards, if you don't have a rope I'm sure they do!!!
Ronda C.
January 1, 2013 at 8:31 pm
