Three brothers picked him up and "slammed" him back onto the couch. This is very true, they really have no good options here. He seems to want to use it that way, and is manipulating the media to do so. Reach him at: justin@cbsnews.com. "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. One brother tried to convince the others that Piazza needed immediate medical help, but was ignored. 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. (Abby Drey/AP). I guess that is what has really skewed my opinion of this whole thing. Join Vimeo 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. "This is about Tim Piazza, and Tim Piazza died, and there should be an absolute reverence in that courtroom," said Centre County District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller. And Ive had it with you, too.. During questioning in court Thursday, Scicchitano said one of the 18 fraternity members already facing charges in connection to Piazza's death earlier this year may have deleted the basement video. / CBS News. According to reporters at the hearing, Scicchitano said the fraternity brothers were acting like "drill sergeants" and yelling at the pledges to drink. PSU/frat/Piazza? Third, being stupid instead of evil is not a defense for a crime. In the fourth day of a preliminary hearing in the Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte, State College Police Detective David Scicchitano testified that authorities recovered a surveillance camera from the basement of the fraternity house, but footage prior to Feb. 6 had vanished. Timothy Piazza, 19, was given 18 drinks in less than Piazza was a freshman taken in by the frat, the senior frat members are both stupid and evil. Sixteen Penn State fraternity brothers were in court Monday, all facing charges connected with the death of a pledge. BELLEFONTE, Pa. -- (WNEP) -- Investigators say a Penn State fraternity pledge's slow death at a frat party was caught on cameras. "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. 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. DiBileo and 15 other fraternity brothers spent over 10 hours in court listening to evidence. The hearing, which is expected to enter a fifth day Friday, will determine whether there is enough evidence to send the case to trial. "However, after later examining one of the DVR surveillance boxes, State College Police uncovered evidence that the basement camera footage had actually been manually deleted just as State College Police were poised to take possession of the recording equipment.". "The visions of him lying in a hospital bed battered and bruised and on life support make no sense. Happy CMVing! That's just all manner of fucked up. Every drink consumed was provided to him by a fraternity brother: DA. "Brothers were coming up to him and giving him those drinks," she added. Sure. Not calling an ambulance for an unconscious, dying person, and instead beating that person up, sounds pretty evil to me. I'm not hanging on tooth and nail to anything, because I'm not invested in this on a personal level. Piazza received "at least 18 drinks in over 1 hour and 22 minutes," Centre County District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller said at a news conference Monday, and he "never once obtained any of those drinks for himself. 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. 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. The video captured the night 14 pledges, including Piazza, were taken through a speed-drinking event called "the gauntlet." Her successor Bernie Cantorna has not said whether or not he intends to proceed with the prosecution.". He is then carried up, while unconscious, by a group of frat brothers who then proceed to "slam" him, slap him, pour water on him and even throw a shoe at him, according to accounts of the footage. Centre County Report. before we start calling them 'kids' and letting them off the hook for killing people. Let's look at the Wikipedia article about the incident. That previous footage allegedly depicted Piazza, severely under the influence, falling head-first down the stairs at about 11 p.m. and falling again around 5 a.m., hitting his head against a metal railing. I don't think it serves anyone to blame the other fraternity members and act like Timothy piazza had no involvement. You or your parents wouldnt file charges right? Piazza, 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. One fraternity member is accused of deleting the video as police were seeking the footage. "His eyes were closed. Doctors saidthesophomore from Lebanon, N.J.,suffered multiple traumatic brain injuries, including a fractured skull and a lacerated spleen. 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. Privacy Policy | The school has also changed the way it regulates fraternities and sororities, assuming more control over disciplinary procedures. WebPiazza staggered on his feet down the hallway and turned right into the Away Bar Room. Not only have you accused me if being involved in this or something like this, you have decided I am a sociopath. 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. Of the accused young men, eight face involuntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and hazing, among other charges; four face reckless endangerment and hazing, among other charges; and six face charges for evidence tampering. Clearly, he is dead weight." Tim Piazza (center) is pictured with his parents, Evelyn and James. In this state of intoxication he fell on the basement stairs of the house and was knocked unconscious. At the news conference Monday, Piazza's father said he is committed to pursuing the charges against the members of the fraternity, which has been shut down by Penn State. I see the frat members as stupid, not evil. He can't protect himself from the alcohol and the injuries, and it goes on and on until he dies, and then they don't render aid at that point. We've received your submission. He was just trying to join an organization. 18 and up is an adult. A response like yours is why I feared posting this. Before emergency assistance arrived, the brothers wiped blood from his face and attempted to dress him, but his body was too rigid to successfully put clothes on. The fraternity was supposed to be alcohol-free after a suspension in 2009. "That's the evidence that the commonwealth now has.". Over the course of 42 more minutes, the video footage shows them hauling Piazza back upstairs, shaking him, and attempting to prop his limp body up on the couch. "It really is difficult to watch.". 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. One of the 18 fraternity members facing charges in the death of a Penn State pledge deleted footage from a basement surveillance camera two days after the 19-year-old sophomore died, a detective testified Thursday. One of the main revelations from the footage: Fraternity brothers gave Piazza at least 18 drinks in one hour and 22 minutes. Messages left for most other defendants or their lawyers were not immediately returned Monday. The most serious offenses include involuntary manslaughter and aggravated assault, while others are charged with hazing or alcohol violations. Piazza's parents, Jim and Evelyn of Hunterdon County, New Jersey, left the courtroom before the prosecution began airing the footage, narrated by Scicchitano. Fraternity members referred to the pledge ceremony as an "obstacle course" in text messages, according to a report on the grand jury's investigation. Piazza appears lifeless for most of the video, rolling on the ground and holding his head in his hands. His brain had swollen to the point that roughly half of his skull had to be removed to relieve the pressure. 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 Not calling 911 immediately is what changed that story, from a crazy night where he drank too much and a lesson for future endeavors to his death. Piazza was brought to Mount Nittany Medical Center, but was quickly transported to Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center because of the severity of his injuries. He drank an incredibly high amount of alcohol and fell down the basement stairs and was unconscious. That's illegal. A court affidavit said one of the brothers, Braxton Becker, purposely deleted the basement footage two days after Piazza died but the FBI was able to recover it. 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. Authorities based the new charges on the Beta Theta Pi basement surveillance footage deleted by a fraternity member following the 19-year-old's death. Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. In partnership with What led to his death was the negligent behavior of the fraternity members after Tim was first injured. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 1894 shipwreck found in Lake Huron, confirming "powerful, tragic story", Bipartisan Senate group unveils rail safety bill in response to Ohio derailment, What to know about Shigella bacteria as drug-resistant strain spreads, Top Dems push Fox News to stop promoting "propaganda" about 2020 election, New charges in Penn State University fraternity death, Flying bug found at Walmart turns out to be rare Jurassic-era insect, Top McCarthy aide, House Oversight chair each met with Ashli Babbitt's mother. Gabe Gutierrez, an NBC News correspondent, said via Twitter that the courtroom was silent as prosecutors played video of Piazza dying. I just don't like the way this kids parents have acted at all. Plus I have been open to other view points when they have been raised. Piazza "was a happy and caring human being" who "was killed at the hands of those he was seeking friendship from," his father said, according to ABC News. Make me see why the Piazza parents are not complete assholes. Comedy Cabaret at the Temperance House, Open House - Check Out The NEW Total Fitness & Golf Gym, Delaware Valley University Hosts Raising Livestock on a Small Farm Community Course This Spring, Protect Your Home from Ticks with Yard Guard from Viking Pest, Larry P. Pelullo, Retired Carpenter with over 30 years Experience, Check Out These Homes For Sale In Newtown, Bucks LVW Webinar To Explore "How School Boards Impact Us All". 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 He was found several hours later by members of the frat. Please enable JavaScript to experience Vimeo in all of its glory. What they did was worse than just leaving him to die. It was at this point that he was carried upstairs. Sometimes to excess. Warner Bros. Entertainment | WebVideo deleted from Penn State fraternity camera in Timothy Piazza case, police say Susan Miller USA TODAY 0:00 1:58 Video on a camera inside a Penn State fraternity house They are acting like total jerks attacking these kids in public. How about the family cool it with the reactions? she said, before turning toward the defendants charged in the case and their attorneys. Because court recessed without a decision, all 16 men are expected to be back in court in the coming weeks. I don't see our legal system as something to be used for extracting a pound of flesh. I mean, that's the whole point of this subreddit. 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. They bought and served absurd amounts of alcohol to a minor. Piazza, a 19-year-old sophomore from New Jersey, died after tumbling down a flight of stairs and fracturing his skull during an alcohol-fueled pledge ritual at the Beta Theta Pi house on Feb. 4. Well, we beat him and slapped him, what more could we do? Even if they aren't and are just held to the standard of roommates look at the whole situation. Prosecutors indicated that police would be filing additional charges in connection to the deleted video, PennLive.com reports. Centre County District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller charged 10 new defendants, reinstated charges against two people whose cases had been dropped and added counts against five who had previously been charged for actions surrounding the Feb. 4 death of Beta Theta Pi pledge Tim Piazza. Ok, you are right. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. Tim was in no way responsible for or a part of this behavior. Defense attorneys have challenged Scicchitano and claimedprosecutors are zeroing in onselect portions of the video. ABC News' Gregory Croft and Stephanie Gomulka contributed to this report. I mean, based on your logic that would be completely selfish and out of line of you. Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. The grand jury concluded that, after Piazza was taken to the hospital, there was an active attempt to conceal evidence of the hazing and underage drinking, from deleting text messages to admitting to discussing erasing surveillance video. Any questions or concerns? However, I'd also like to argue that the fraternity is also legally and morally responsible for his initial intoxication. Graphic video footage of the night Piazza Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Some time later, Piazza regained consciousness and rolled off the couch. The reason why hazing works, and why hazing charges exist, is because peer pressure is an extremely powerful motivator. Inspire employees with compelling live and on-demand video experiences. First of all, these are not kids, they are adults. Piazza never obtained any of the drinks himself, Miller said. Piazza, who was left on a first-floor couch overnight, made severalattempts to get up but fell multiple times,in some cases hitting his head and falling down the stairs. Justin is an assistant managing editor at CBS News. I cannot stress this enough. And again, we get back to taking responsibility for your actions. Ousted Chicago mayor blames loss on racism, gender but not her tepid response to crime, Hoda Kotb's lengthy 'Today' show absence finally explained, Teacher says she did NOT confiscate student's Nintendo Switch before vile beating, Chrissy Teigen, John Legend film newborn babys first kiss sandwich, Larsa Pippen felt betrayed by Kardashians before apology: resurfaced clip, Fans troll Kim Kardashian for saving sexy two-piece look for kids prom, Heroic bus driver saves student from passing car, Gina Carano's Character Officially Written Out Of 'The Mandalorian' After Cancel Culture Backlash, King Charles evicting Harry, Meghan from Frogmore Cottage, giving to Andrew. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Former attorney Alex Murdaugh's double murder trial continues with closing arguments: Watch live. More:16 students face judge in Penn State hazing death of Timothy Piazza, More:'He looked like a corpse': Video shown of Penn State pledge after fatal injuries. In September, following an unusually long, hard-fought preliminary hearing, a judge dismissed the most serious charges against the fraternity members. On Thursday, lawyerTheodore Simon saidduring the early morning hours before Piazza was found in the basement, he could be seen walking to a set of patio doors and closing them indicating the pledge wascoherent andfunctioning during this time, the Centre Daily Times reported. A place to post an opinion you accept may be flawed, in an effort to understand other perspectives on the issue. It was estimated that he had .40% BAC and a lethal BAC is roughly .30%-.40%. WebPenn State sophomore Tim Piazza spent his final hours dragging his bruised and bloodied body across a beer-soaked fraternity house floor, stumbling down stairs into iron railings, What these people chose to do was make it worse and try to hide the fact they were breaking campus rules at the cost of a fellow members well being. 2023 Telepictures Productions Inc. Press J to jump to the feed. This is especially true when the victim is a minor who was not used to binge drinking, and even more especially true after he's already too drunk to make good decisions. I don't even know where you get the whole idea I am making personal digs at people, or how you can think anything i said could only be thought by a frat bro, or whatever. WebSurveillance footage from inside the frat house shown during previous hearings depicted Piazza looking like a corpse after his first drunken fall in the house, according to another I can only imagine the anguish of being a parent, and losing your child this way. (CBSN). Investigators say the frat brothers waited 12 hours to call 911. But the hazing was not the unconscionable part of what happened, and it wasn't what led to his death. Piazza's parents have spoken out poignantly about the incident. One of the 18 Beta Theta Pi members charged with the Feb. 4 death of 19-year-old Tim Piazza removed everything from the basement camera two days after his alcohol-related passing. Convince the others that Piazza needed immediate medical help, but was ignored think it serves to. Of this behavior by a fraternity member is accused of deleting the video as police were the! Brothers were in court Monday, all 16 men are expected to be back in court Monday, all men. 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