After dash cam footage surfaced, concerns were raised by the families of three teenagers who tragically lost their lives when a stolen car they were driving plunged into a river, leading to their drowning. The incident, involving three teens aged 15 and 16 from Tampa, Florida, occurred after they reportedly stole a Honda Accord and were pursued by law enforcement until the vehicle submerged in a pond. Allegations emerged from the families that responding officers failed to take adequate measures to rescue the teenagers.
Will Anderson, the legal representative for the teens, voiced skepticism regarding the handling of the case, stating, “In my opinion, this has been a rush to judgment. In my opinion, this has been a smear campaign.” Conversely, Sheriff Bob Gualtieri defended his deputies’ actions, asserting they acted appropriately. “I’m not going to stand by and let these people cast a false narrative,” he affirmed, dismissing claims of negligence as attempts to manipulate the truth. Gualtieri highlighted the challenging conditions officers faced, describing the pond as “thick with sludge,” making access difficult.
Michele Whitfield, an attorney representing two of the deceased teens, echoed concerns about the transparency of the investigation, emphasizing the need for further clarification. “There’s still some documents that I am waiting for,” she noted, questioning the completeness of the information provided. The released dash cam footage, though incomplete, captured deputies discussing the submerged vehicle. “It’s going all the way down. It’s almost fully submerged,” remarked one deputy, indicating the urgency of the situation.
“They’re done. They’re done. They are sig seven, dude,” another added, referring to the radio code for “dead person.” Despite the footage, the Sheriff’s office insisted that their officers did everything they could to rescue the teens and that “just because it’s not on cam doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.” “This is ridiculous they were doing their job. Maybe if more parents taught their children respect and right from wrong the police wouldn’t have to chase or arrest them,” one Mad World News reader commented on the site’s Facebook page. “It’s really sad that the police officers are being blamed for this those girls were Reckless and still in the car and driving too fast their parents should have taught him better at home maybe if there was consequences two things they done they wouldn’t have done this so the parents need to point a finger in their own Direction and take the blame for this it’s not the police officers fault,” another added.