Death After Leaving Drunk Person Outside Home Door at -7°C... Two Police Officers Fined

"Violation of Mandatory Relief Measures"...Applied as Negligent Homicide in the Course of Duty
Following Fine, Minor Disciplinary Action Within Police Department

Two police officers who were summarily indicted on charges of abandoning a heavily intoxicated man on outdoor stairs in front of his home in freezing temperatures of minus 7 degrees Celsius, leading to his death, were fined.

According to the legal community on the 14th, the Seoul Northern District Court issued summary orders imposing fines of 5 million won and 4 million won respectively on Sergeant A and Corporal B, who belong to the Mia Police Substation of the Gangbuk Police Station in Seoul, on charges of professional negligence causing death. The summary orders, issued on November 9 last year, were finalized on the 22nd of the same month.

They responded to a report on November 30, 2022, that "an intoxicated person was lying on the roadside," and at around 1:28 a.m. on the same day, they sat a 60-year-old intoxicated man, Mr. C, on the outdoor stairs of a multi-family house in Suyu-dong, Gangbuk-gu, Seoul, and left the scene.

At the time, a cold wave warning was issued in Seoul with the lowest temperature dropping to minus 8.1 degrees Celsius, and Mr. C was found dead on the outdoor stairs about six hours later. An autopsy revealed that Mr. C died of hypothermia. When this fact became known, public criticism continued over the police officers who left the scene without confirming that the intoxicated person had entered the house.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Based on the weather conditions and Mr. C's state at the time, the police judged that the two officers violated their duty to provide aid and referred them to the prosecution on charges of professional negligence causing death. According to the Police Duties Execution Act, police officers have an obligation to protect individuals who are intoxicated and may pose a risk to their own or others' lives.

Mr. C's bereaved family submitted a petition requesting no punishment, but in September last year, the prosecution filed a summary indictment (a request by the prosecutor for the court to impose a fine based solely on written review), and the court accepted it and issued a summary order. In the same month, the Gangbuk Police Station held a disciplinary committee and imposed minor disciplinary actions on the officers. According to the Police Officials Disciplinary Regulations, minor disciplinary actions include pay cuts and reprimands.

Meanwhile, in February last year, Police Commissioner Yoon Hee-geun expressed regret over the series of accidents that occurred during the handling of intoxicated individuals, saying, "I sincerely apologize to the families who are grieving."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.