OK wait. So if you do something intentionally that leads to the death of someone, it isn't a crime?
Self-defense is a classic example of doing something intentionally that leads to the death of someone, but it's not a crime.
Surgeons cut people open, and sometimes it leads to the patient's death. Sometimes it's malpractice (i.e., civil liability), and sometimes it's just a tragedy that's no one's fault. But it's not a crime.
A baseball player goes to bat and hits the ball hard. He does so intentionally. It impacts another player in the chest, who has a previously undiagnosed heart problem and who dies as a result. It's a tragedy, but not a crime. (Yes, this has happened.)
There are lots and lots of things that people do intentionally that lead to someone's death. Not all of them are crimes.
Of course, no one is claiming that this case was self-defense, or medical malpractice or baseball. My examples above are merely examples of
intentional acts leading to death that are
not crimes.
I'm very very interested to learn what evidence Ms. Mosby has that led her to charge Ofc. Goodson with those specific charges. If there were acts that were intended to lead to death or injury to Mr. Gray, I hope that the officer(s) who committed such acts are convicted. That's never acceptable not if it's an inner city criminal with a long rap sheet any more than if it's a rich corporate executive living in a multimillion-dollar estate.
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