They used this power not to keep him safe but to encourage him to drink to the point where even if he hadn't injured himself he would have almost certainly been hospitalized or died of alcohol poisoning. The footage was collected by 12 cameras positioned throughout the house, the Inquirer reported. I see the frat members as stupid, not evil. In May, a grand jury revised that assessment, calling it "the direct result of encouraged reckless conduct." The reason why hazing works, and why hazing charges exist, is because peer pressure is an extremely powerful motivator. He rolled off the couch again and curled his body, clutching his abdomen. "Piazza looks like dead weight. Investigators say the frat brothers waited 12 hours to call 911. Gabe Gutierrez, an NBC News correspondent, said via Twitter that the courtroom was silent as prosecutors played video of Piazza dying. Pledges showed signs of intoxication, and Piazza had to be helped to a couch. It was estimated that he had .40% BAC and a lethal BAC is roughly .30%-.40%. To review Hyatts claims that he conducted daily, face-to-face evaluations of patients, investigators pulled roughly two months of video surveillance footage from the hospital, records indicate. Ten other students are facing related charges of reckless endangerment, tampering with evidence and providing alcohol to minors, among other charges. Detectives also found a text from Becker the day after the party, saying Piazza was technically hazed into drinking that much. In another text, Becker used an expletive to say someone had argued against getting the pledges very drunk but no one listened.. His parents saying he was perfect, and making it sound like he was kidnapped and tortured is misleading, and could lead to unfair punishments for a number of kids who made a horrible mistake. "As it relates to my client, we didn't hear a lot. The footage, by all accounts, is disturbing. Other security camera footage from inside the sprawling frat house shown during previous hearings depicted frat members alternatively holding Piazza down or strapping him to a backpack to keep from rolling over and choking while he appeared to be unconscious. Piazza was a freshman taken in by the frat, the senior frat members are both stupid and evil. I can concede they are stupid. But until recently, that did not include the basement, where Piazza was found the next morning. Piazza's death "was the direct result of traumatic brain injuries," according to the forensic pathologist on the case. 18 and up is an adult. Surveillance video played in court reportedly shows Piazza repeatedly falling, passing out and tumbling head-first down a flight of stairs, and no one called 911 for hours. Piazza's parents, Jim and Evelyn of Hunterdon County, New Jersey, left the courtroom before the prosecution began airing the footage, narrated by Scicchitano. Enter with a mindset for conversation, not debate. When you get somebody into an environment where they have seemingly no way out, where every authority figure is encouraging or forcing you to drink and nobody would help you, say, leave and go home safely, it is extremely difficult to turn down drinks. Scicchitano replied he did not, saying the girls were not wearing name badges, and recommended that they come forward to police. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Newly recovered security camera footage from inside a Penn State fraternity house showed a pledge had been given at least 18 drinks in less than 90 minutes, investigators said Monday in announcing dozens of new charges related to the pledges death. WebThe Discovery of Timothy Piazzas Unconscious body is disturbing. FULL STORY: Video surveillance from Pennsylvania State University fraternity house shown in court - WNEP. Not only have you accused me if being involved in this or something like this, you have decided I am a sociopath. Waiting for your permission to load facebook comments. State College Police Detective David Scicchitano said he believed he knew the identity of the person who deleted the footage, PennLive.com reported. Alexandersen said fraternity brothers were "intensely" watching the video of Piazza writhe in pain on the floor in the hours after his fall. Piazza subsequently stumbled toward the basement steps, then fell down them. And again, we get back to taking responsibility for your actions. The footage, as outlined in the grand jury presentment, shows an inebriated Piazza fall down the stairs. WebPiazza, a 19-year-old sophomore at Penn State, fell down the stairs at the Beta Theta Pi house during a night of drinking for a pledge ceremony there on Feb. 2. Each fraternity brother faces charges after Piazza had a deadly fall at the Beta Theta Pi house at Penn State back in February. They are acting like total jerks attacking these kids in public. In the video, Piazza appeared visibly drunk during the hazing ritual on Feb. 2; he was wobbling as he I'm not involved in this situation, and I'm not a bad guy. WebAccording to the grand jury presentment, around 9 p.m., the videos show Piazza and other pledges in a ritual called "the gauntlet," consuming large amounts of beer, vodka and Its unclear whether the camera was in a position to capture one of Piazzas several falls during a night of drinking. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. His tragic death made national headlines after it was revealed that frat members didn't alert authorities until about 12 hours after he fell down the stairs. 7:45 p.m. Piazza was seen on his hands and knees in Tim was accountable to himself for over drinking, but the rest of the frat was accountable for essentially leaving him to rot and die, despite obvious symptoms of trauma and injury, and likely alcohol poisoning. Prosecutors filed charges against 12 members of Penn State's now-shuttered Beta Theta Pi chapter and added to the already-existing charges against five others. Pledges were made to chug vodka and beer. I don't think they're acting like assholes. Other charges include assault, reckless endangerment, giving alcohol to minors, hazing and tampering with evidence. He had to have more than half his skull removed to relieve the massive pressure built up from all those head injuries. Feel free to message us. I don't see our legal system as something to be used for extracting a pound of flesh. Penn State's former Beta Theta Pi fraternity house now sits empty. Becker, 21, of Niskayuna, New York, was charged with evidence tampering, obstruction and hindering a prosecution. Warner Bros. Entertainment | I can honestly say that would not be how my mind would work. And as tragic as the loss of this young man is, Joey Ems never should have been charged with a crime.. I mean, this is a very speculative statement at best. PennLive.come reports State College Police Detective David Scicchitano was on the witness stand for nearly 10 hours during the hearing. I just can't call them evil. If you see a comment that has broken one, it is more effective to report it than downvote it. The bombshell revelation by State College police Detective David Scicchitano came during a hearing to determine if theres enough evidence to send the case to trial. Third, being stupid instead of evil is not a defense for a crime. Tim Piazza (center) is pictured with his parents, Evelyn and James. Piazza eventually staggered to the basement where he fell down a flight of stairs. This isn't a mistake, it's murder. after reading this entire thread and especially all of your answers OP im getting the impression you are either someone (a brother/pledge) who was there that night, or someone with some type of intimate frat involvement to the case and timothy. Reach him at: justin@cbsnews.com. Timothy Piazza, 19, from New Jersey died after falling down a flight of stairs during a hazing ritual at the Beta Theta Pi fraternity house. Updated on: November 13, 2017 / 2:58 PM Susan Snyder, a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter from the Philadelphia Inquirer, was at the hearing. The new allegations mark a significant escalation in a case that has taken several twists since the Dauphin County coroner initially ruled Piazza's death an accident. I just wanted to have a conversation. They are grieving parents looking for something to explain why their son has been killed. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. He too live-tweeted. What they did was far worse than, say driving drunk and killing someone which would still be involuntary manslaughter. I'm pissed at these guys, and I've got no skin in the game. "America's Got Talent" Comedian Bringing The Laughs To Newtown, Senator Pushes Bills To Bring Justice To Childhood Sex Assault Victims, Jules Thin Crust Pizza Looking For The Next Menu-Worthy Pie, Comedy Star Dena Blizzard Fri. & Sat. He drank an incredibly high amount of alcohol and fell down the basement stairs and was unconscious. His brain had swollen to the point that roughly half of his skull had to be removed to relieve the pressure. What led to his death was the negligent behavior of the fraternity members after Tim was first injured. He's unconscious," Scicchitano said after Piazzas first fall. Prosecutors filed charges against 12 members of the fraternity and added to the already-existing charges against five others. No one called for help until late the next morning, and the New Jersey native died Feb. 4. Because court recessed without a decision, all 16 men are expected to be back in court in the coming weeks. Brothers [in the fraternity] were coming up to him and giving him those drinks.". Twenty-six people now face charges in the case. Piazza was part of it, and idolizing him can only make this horrible situation worse. WebTimothy Piazza, 19, from New Jersey died after falling down a flight of stairs during a hazing ritual at the Beta Theta Pi fraternity house. He was carried to a couch, where surveillance cameras captured the formation of a large and obvious bruise on his left abdomen. Look at the definition of murder..I don't like over the top hyperbole and I think that's why this case has bothered me in terms of coverage. He said coercing someone to drink as much as his son did is egregiously reckless and, according to the police and the DA, is criminal.. need to get some shit off your chest? Speaking of which, downvotes don't change views! These were supposed to be his friends. This wasnt boys being boys. Twelve new fraternity members now face charges in the investigation. PSU/frat/Piazza? Prosecutors allege Piazza was forced to drink excessively before falling and hurting himself. He had no shirt on and no shoes on. UhhI'm not affiliated with penn state or a fraternity in general. Ad Choices, Video surveillance from Pennsylvania State University fraternity house shown in court - WNEP. But, still, they pressured him into drinking too much. Penn State Frat House Death: Fast Drinking, Slow Death, Frantic Coverup In Grand Jury Timeline, Frat House Death At Penn State: A Who's Who Of The Accused. The grand jury document referenced surveillance footage other than the recently recovered video. 2017 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. WebPiazza's family left the courtroom when surveillance video was played. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. In fact, on video, Tim Piazza does not obtain his own alcohol at any point rather, every drink consumed was provided to him by a fraternity brother, she said. Attorney Rocco Cipparone Jr., whose client Michael Bonatucci was accused of new counts of furnishing alcohol to minors and liquor code violations, said he hopes the next district attorney will take a fresh look at the case and some of the charging decisions that have been made.. Security footage shows brothers slapping Piazza in the face, punching him in the stomach, and pouring beer on him, but he remained unconscious and unresponsive. I would feel sorry for myself, but it just wouldn't cross my mind to blame anyone and everyone for the situation. WebDetectives may have discovered crucial new evidence in the death of Penn State student Timothy Piazza. WebReporters inside the Centre County Courthouse live tweeted the proceedings as the prosecution played the surveillance footage from the Beta Theta Pi fraternity party on Excerpts from the footage havebeen compelling: Fraternity members are shown holding Piazza down, strapping him to a backpack to keep him from turning over and choking, pouring liquids on him and trying to get him to stand so they could dress him even whenhe appeared to be unconscious. Contributing: The Associated Press, John Bacon, USA TODAY. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. The surgeons attempting to save his life deemed the injuries to likely be nonrecoverable, and Piazza was pronounced dead in the early morning of February 4, 2017. Build a site and generate income from purchases, subscriptions, and courses. Not every tragedy is a crime, said Ems lawyer, Bill Brennan. At one point, the men can be seen trying to dress him, but struggling against the stiffness that had set into his limbs, grand jurors said. He was found several hours later by members of the frat. PennLive.com reporter Christian Alexandersen was also at the hearing. She issued several tweets about the surveillance tapes, calling the footage "grueling" to watch. WebPiazza staggered on his feet down the hallway and turned right into the Away Bar Room. Nonetheless, we d not typically try to blame the victim in order to exonerate the perpetrator in these cases, because that just perpetuates a climate in which those crimes are allowed to happen and perpetrators feel secure that they won't be blamed. Edit: Btw, your comment completely justifies me using a throwaway. He seems to want to use it that way, and is manipulating the media to do so. And all colleges and fraternities are supposed to have anti-hazing rules in place. Piazzadied in ahospital Feb. 4, about 30 hours after a bid acceptance partyin which the former high school football player fell repeatedly. I see the frat members as stupid, not evil. WebSurveillance video inside a Penn State frat house showed a student who looked like a corpse by the time fraternity members came to his aid, a police detective said on Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. It's a horrible idea for any crime, this one included. Three brothers picked him up and "slammed" him back onto the couch. I sincerely doubt you know his parents or knew Timothy enough to espouse his lack of accountability. District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller said fraternity brothers gave Piazza 18 drinks in under one hour and 22 minutes. When he finally woke up and tried to roll off, they slammed him back down, slapped him in the face and poured beer on him. Sucks that you have to come in basically bullying me because we disagree. Web237K views 5 years ago There are new developments in connection with the case of the fraternity hazing ritual at Penn State that allegedly caused the tragic death of 19-year-old We'd like to remind you of a couple of things. One person even recommended that help be contacted but was ignored and he was left on a couch. The hearing, which is expected to enter a fifth day Friday, will determine whether there is enough evidence to send the case to trial. The charges filed Monday which range from involuntary manslaughter to aggravated assault and hazing rely on surveillance footage taken during the pledge event connected with the 19-year-old's death. everything that happened after he regained consciousness (although it sounds like he may have already been in debilitating pain by this point) could have been prevented if they had just given 2 shits about a person that they called a brother. "When law enforcement initially evaluated the video footage, fraternity brothers led police to believe that the basement cameras had been inoperable on Bid Acceptance Night," Parks Miller's office said in a statement. You know what, if somebody falls down a flight of stairs because they're blackout drunk, you should probably make sure that nothing bad happens to him. Any one of these people could have stayed with him kept him from doing further damage to himself. The next morning, fraternity members located Piazza, unconscious, in the basement. "A young man died unnecessarily," District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller (center) told reporters. Video on a camera insidea Penn State fraternity house was erasedtwo days after a pledge died followinga night of hazing and heavy drinking, a detective testified Thursday, according to media reports. 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