Cops, seven, involved in a high speed chase and that high speed chase killed a black family. Put it up romance. [00:00:15] This is why states have laws against this. This is why precincts have regulations to forbid it. Seven police officers in Florida are facing charges [00:00:33] after a high speed chase that killed a pregnant woman and her mother. Three fled the scene. The details are disturbing. [00:00:49] Marcia Paquette was looking forward to becoming a grandmother. But on the evening of July 30th, 2024, both their lives were cut short violently. [00:01:04] And now, nearly a year later, seven West Palm Beach cops are facing criminal charges due to the tragic death. Via a vehicle. On June 4th. [00:01:23] Those same cops turned themselves in for their alleged roles in a high speed chase that crossed city lines and ended in a fatal crash in Boynton Beach. The pursuit, which began when a 23 year [00:01:39] old named Leon Copeland refused to stop for the police, ended when he slammed his silver Kia Stinger into a Toyota Corolla. This was at the intersection of North Congress Avenue and Meadows. [00:01:57] Killing 57 year old is and her 27 year old daughter, Janice Woods, two months pregnant. As words was put up for mass. Three of the officers, [00:02:13] Austin, Daniel Lovich, Pierre Etienne and Christopher Richdale, were charged with two counts of leaving the scene. You heard that right. Leaving the scene of a crash involving death [00:02:33] and one count of official misconduct. For others, Michael Borgen, William Meza, Brandon Stadtfeld and Darren Thomas. They were charged with official misconduct. [00:02:50] Keep that picture up. You have three cops who killed a family and fled the scene. Why did they flee? Don't criminals flee? Correct? [00:03:06] That's right. That's why they decided to leave the other cops. Let them leave. Why? Because you cannot have criminal conspiracy without meeting of the minds. They are the conspiracy factor. The charges stem from police. [00:03:25] A police pursuit that began in West Palm Beach when Mr. Copeland refused to stop for a traffic violation. Minor dynamic surveillance footage and police reports show that three cops, three vehicles, one marked and two unmarked pursued Mr. [00:03:42] Copeland for this traffic violation. They went south onto I-95 and outside of their own city limits, eventually exiting Hypoluxo Road. [00:03:58] The chase ended at Boynton Beach, miles away from where it started. So, what should have happened? Yeah. The next jurisdiction is informed, that, you got a hot one [00:04:13] coming into your community. That's it. Get on the radio. Call somebody. Call 911. It's a traffic violation. You're all the way at the beach. There's more. So just five seconds before the crash, Copeland was traveling 108mph. I want you to think about this. [00:04:34] Let's say the violation was speeding, right? And the reason why you will pull that person over is because they are creating risk for themselves and everyone who is driving, right? [00:04:50] Fair assumption. Now you have seven cars, all going over 100mph to catch the immature individual who's going 108. [00:05:09] Obviously, this creates a greater danger, And that is why jurisdictions have said, let that person go, get the tag number, find the information, get a damn warrant. But they didn't. So, according to the Boynton Beach Police Department, surveillance footage [00:05:28] reviewed by investigators showed both Copeland and one of the officers, quote, driving with no regard for traffic devices or human life. They went into another jurisdiction, breaking the law in order to catch a guy speeding down the street. [00:05:45] Following the crash, Mr. Copeland fled the scene on foot, just like the cops. A911 caller reported a disoriented, injured man banging at her door nearby. The cops arrived, found Mr. Copeland, who admitted to running because he was scared. [00:06:05] He also told investigators he did not. He had not seen the people, in the car that he struck. So he was treated at Bethesda medical for minor injuries before being booked into the county jail. [00:06:23] He faced two counts of leaving the scene of a crash, causing fatality and one count of resisting an officer without violence. Nothing about the traffic violation I ate. Internal affairs at the West Palm Beach P.D. [00:06:42] Launched their investigation the next day. The cops involved. They were placed on paid administrative leave. This was last August. All right. A criminal investigation started. Was handed to the Palm Beach County State Attorney's public corruption unit because [00:07:00] there was somebody else else's yard. Former police chief Frank, Frank Adderley, who was still in office at the time of this crash, pledged for cooperation with the investigation at Boynton Beach, [00:07:17] and emphasized the importance of letting the facts dictate the outcome. Quote. While there are while there are any questions and few answers at this time, we need to let facts lead us to the outcome of the investigation. End quote. [00:07:32] Two and a half lives were taken away from me. My daughter, my wife, my future grandchild. Said Mr. Porsche, Genesis father and Marsha's husband. Quote. We are looking forward. [00:07:47] We were looking forward to a new grandbaby. Put up the picture again. Man, this is a tough story. Because. It was so avoidable if the people who were being paid [00:08:07] taxpayer dollars to protect and serve simply would have followed common sense. You don't even need to know the common protocol in order to save a life here. It's careless. You don't have simple compassion for people that you endangered and you killed an entire family. [00:08:28] Jackson, I honestly think, the charges are, too light. What they did, in my opinion, was not negligent. It was intentional. And it should be treated as such. What say you? Yeah. And the part that makes it intentional is the fact that they fled the scene. [00:08:43] I mean, not only does that, you know, go against just the general citizen's duty to stay on the scene and also just all of our general humanity to want to help people, especially when you're connected to something like that, but also it goes against their professional duty and their state duty to protect and serve. [00:09:02] On top of the fact that they chased out of their jurisdiction. And, you know, it's just they really don't have any, good defense for this case. And then also, you know, this kind of is similar to, like, a drunk driving type of situation where you, [00:09:19] you just clearly had us neglect and lack of consideration for everybody else, because the people who were injured didn't even have anything to do with the initial chase. So, you know, just it's it's it's just there's too much wrong with it, [00:09:36] too much neglect. I think that, they're definitely going to lose this case. And if they don't, that would obviously be a huge tragedy. I guess it wouldn't be much of a surprise. But, you know, this is just open and shut in my opinion. [00:09:51] And the but for factor in my opinion, is the fact that another police jurisdiction got involved and investigated these cops for what happened, inside of their county. [00:10:06] And you all right, dear brother, fleeing the scene. That is evidence of a guilty conscience. Meaning they knew or should have known that they were engaged in criminal activity when they were pursuing. All right, we'll bring you updates as they come.