Posted on 06/13/2013 9:24:04 AM PDT by rickmichaels
PHILADELPHIA - The city building inspector who checked a Philadelphia building before it collapsed last week, killing six people, has died of an apparent suicide, local media reported.
The inspector died of a gunshot wound to the chest on Wednesday night, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported, citing law enforcement sources. He was found dead inside his vehicle in a wooded section of Shawmont Avenue in the Roxborough neighborhood of Philadelphia, the report said.
Police confirmed to Reuters that a suicide had taken place at that location but said they could not confirm the identity of the person who died.
Local affiliates for the ABC, CBS and NBC television networks also reported that the suicide victim was a city inspector who had inspected the building before it collapsed.
Earlier this week, Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams announced plans to convene a grand jury to investigate the extent of responsibility for last week's building collapse, which killed six people and injured 13 others.
Sean Benschop, who was operating the crane when the Market Street building in Center City fell, is the sole person charged so far in the case. He is being held without bail on charges of involuntary manslaughter, recklessly endangering another person, causing a catastrophe and risking a catastrophe.
The scope of the grand jury may include a look at the role of city agencies and their policies, Williams said.
The four-story building was being demolished and collapsed onto a Salvation Army Thrift Store next door.
The building had been issued a demolition permit on Feb. 1 and later that month passed a check by the inspector who is now dead, the Inquirer said.
By himself?
The guy running the crane is still in jail I believe.
Earlier reports placed the blame squarely on the demolition company and its crew.
Should read “The inspector who DIDN’T check the property....”
If this dead guy could have,and should have,prevented this from happening and didn’t then one can argue that his was an act of remorse and guilt.If I’m correct then one can almost admire the guy for at least having a conscience.We all know that if it was Osama Obama who was responsible he would have hired 100 lawyers and started chanting “racist” and “bitter clingers”.
Very sad.
A suicide gunshot to the chest is kind of unusual.
Why is the crane operator in jail?
Why is the crane operator in jail?
That’s how women usually do it. Doesn’t destroy the face.
Isn’t this what they do in Japan? If someone fails to do their job, they kill themselves to save face. I could really get behind that policy for D.C. starting with Barry and working its way down.
How many more did he ‘sign off good’ on?
Prob. come to find out it’s like all other Dem rat UNION jobs....nothing done for high $$ and the Citizens screwed over
Normally people try killing themselves by going for their head not their chest, they don’t want to suffer through the pain. It doesn’t quite fit the smell test.
Sources tell CBS 3 that blood tests on the crane operator involved with Wednesday’s deadly building collapse in Center City detected the presence of a prescription painkiller and marijuana.
Sources say investigators also noticed that Benschop, who has a history of 11 prior arrests, including a conviction for possession and dealing drugs, was speaking in what police considered an unusually slow, quiet way, “almost whispering,” according to a source.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3028668/posts
Actually now it’s not clear whether this guy was the crane operator or an excavator operator. The story at that link I posted has been changed from “crane operator” to “excavator operator”, but here it’s still “crane operator”.
Oh... ok.
(I am glad I didn’t start ranting about making criminal cases out of every tragic accident.)
It is hard to believe that he could get a crane operators license in Philadelphia with that kind of record.
It is hard to believe that an employer would hire him with that kind of background.
... shaking head...
It is, perhaps, worth noting that the crane/excavator operator manned-up and turned himself in.
Mafia.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.