No charges over Adam Johnson death

[PanniniClaus]

Insane on a hockey forum there are so many people who think he should be charged.

I think the rational side says we know there is nothing to prosecute.

I think those of us that have played hockey at a reasonably high level know that was not a normal hockey play.. Nothing about it was in the range of normal movements.

Hopefully safety improving is the main outcome.

 

[AlainVigneaultsGum]

Good. If Petgrave were coordinated enough to pull that off intentionally, he wouldn't be playing in a f***ing Z-tier English league.

 

[SomeDude]

No, I'm showing a video of him doing his patented skate kick.

Hockey has a 150 year history, this has never happened because literally everybody knows:
1.Skates are very sharp
2.You don't use them as weapons

You're so sick of internet experts (except when you expertly decide that a guy is innocent because you want to ignore all evidence otherwise).

I’m the one who is ignoring evidence? There was a year and a half long investigation and it was determined there was not enough cause to pursue charges.

Do you honestly think you know more about this case than the people who have been working on it for 18 months?

 

[SirKillalot]

Good, it was disgusting how long this was getting dragged out for.

Exactly.

It was quite clear based on the video evidence of the incident that this wasn't something intentional. Just a bizarre turn of events based on his skate hitting the other guys skate with him gaining a momentum that lead to him hitting Johnson.

 

[WATTAGE4451]

Will probably be found liable in a civil suit by the family. Personally i dont under stand why reckless acts in hockey cant be manslaughter but reckless driving can. Either way. He didnt intend it and i think its probably ruined petgraves life. He will feel it and probably be out of hockey. Jailtime wouldnt bring the player back.

 

[Legionnaire11]

The guy in white is the one with his skates flailing though. For sure the crown looked at Pegtave’s history (they investigated for many months) and didn’t find the evidence to support a trial. This video more so supports that skates can flail in dangerous ways from the guy in white. IMO it is exculpatory.

You're watching the wrong part. It's not the hit at the beginning, it happens around 22 seconds in. Petgrave skates in front of the player for the hit but misses and then hooks his leg back behind him to make contact. Almost the exact same move, except this one was around thigh height and the Johnson one was up higher due to Petgrave being upended.

I don't think there should have been criminal charges or a conviction, but I do believe he fully intended to kick is leg out to impede Johnson and accidentally got him in the throat. It's just weird that people can't admit that it was an intentional action while still believing it wasn't a criminal action.

 

[Legionnaire11]

You’re showing a video of him kneeing someone to prove he would try to cut someone with his skates? Do you know how ridiculous that is? Additionally, look at how that other guy’s legs flailed from the hit. This hurts your argument that what happened later on was somehow not a normal thing that can happen in a hockey game.

I am so sick of internet experts who think they know more about whatever is in the news this week than the people who are actually involved in it because they spent a night watching YouTube videos.

Watch around 22 seconds into that video. It's not a kneeing video, you will see Petgrave cut in front of the player and kick his leg back to catch him.

 

[SomeDude]

Watch around 22 seconds into that video. It's not a kneeing video, you will see Petgrave cut in front of the player and kick his leg back to catch him.

So it’s a tripping video?

 

[Team_Spirit]

Was there any skate 1st the chest hits in the thousands of professional hockey games played since this murder?

Rhetorical question.

 

[bov]

Yeah it would've been a shame to see a guy who:
1.Has a history of using his skates as a weapon
2.Was an extremely dirty player
3.Killed somebody

Get screwed over, I'm glad life is fair and a saint like him didn't get punished.

It was a freak accident and clearly no intent whatsoever to do what he ended up doing. He already has to live with it, dragging him through all this nonsense was a disgrace. To suggest there was intent here is so ridiculous I can't even find the words.

 

[Blueline Bomber]

See, my question is: This guy is a hockey player. He knows that if he has an issue with an opposing player, he can check, slash, hook, elbow, punch, etc. said player and likely only gets up to 5 minutes in the sin bin as a result. Maybe if he REALLY takes a check or an elbow too far, he gets a suspension.

So why do so many people believe that, with all those options available to him, he intentionally used his skate as a weapon? Does anyone really think he went "I don't like this guy. I could fight him, but instead, let's go for a manslaughter charge"?

 

[Edmonton East]

I mean Petgrave should have gotten a lesser charge and served some type of legal punishment. If it was your kid, friend, or family member that got killed like that, you'd rightfully lose your mind. That wasn't a hockey play. That wasn't simply a freak accident. That was negligent and reckless....at best.

The video should be posted in the OP. Along with all of Petgrave's other dumbass plays throughout his trash career. Guy is a scumbag. I see guys that whine about every playoff hit defending this dude. Would be comical if it wasn't so pathetic.

 

[Legionnaire11]

So it’s a tripping video?

Sure you can say that he tripped the player. That trip is the result of intentionally swinging his leg out behind him to impede the opponent. And that establishes history, just as he swung his leg out to impede Johnson.

It's doesn't mean that he intended to catch him in the throat with a skate blade, and it certainly doesn't mean he intended to kill Johnson. But it does demonstrate that he is reckless with his skates.

It's okay to admit that a player was reckless and in the wrong, while still maintaining that it isn't a criminal act. I'm not sure why so many people believe it has to be either 100% one or the other, I guess that's just the social media culture we live in now.

 

[Edmonton East]

See, my question is: This guy is a hockey player. He knows that if he has an issue with an opposing player, he can check, slash, hook, elbow, punch, etc. said player and likely only gets up to 5 minutes in the sin bin as a result. Maybe if he REALLY takes a check or an elbow too far, he gets a suspension.

So why do so many people believe that, with all those options available to him, he intentionally used his skate as a weapon? Does anyone really think he went "I don't like this guy. I could fight him, but instead, let's go for a manslaughter charge"?

Oh yea totally bud. That's a great argument. People never just "snap" and badly injure or even kill someone in life. Never happens. Ever. Yup. A+ reasoning.

 

[bobbyb2009]

Well I think I came to the correct conclusion without months of investigation. Again, the parents... their grief will flow over onto the lives of their remaining children, and further. It's the type of thing that drowns an entire family in depression, anger, sadness, forever.

No kidding it is. They lost a son. I feel for the entire community around that family. Horrible, awful, life changing event. No argument here. And it would be regardless how the death happened?

 

[SomeDude]

Sure you can say that he tripped the player. That trip is the result of intentionally swinging his leg out behind him to impede the opponent. And that establishes history, just as he swung his leg out to impede Johnson.

It's doesn't mean that he intended to catch him in the throat with a skate blade, and it certainly doesn't mean he intended to kill Johnson. But it does demonstrate that he is reckless with his skates.

It's okay to admit that a player was reckless and in the wrong, while still maintaining that it isn't a criminal act. I'm not sure why so many people believe it has to be either 100% one or the other, I guess that's just the social media culture we live in now.

You could argue it establishes that it’s an act that sometimes occurs in hockey (he is far from the first, or last person to stick their leg out after missing someone with the idea of impeding them) and usually results in no injury.

I understand wanting to assign blame, it’s probably human nature to want a reason why something so terrible happened. The fact is the same thing could happen 100 more times and Johnson never gets hurt. Just because something improbable and unlikely happened, it doesn’t mean there is blame to go around.

I’ve given and received hits where legs, arms, sticks, skates, you name it, come up unexpectedly. Weird stuff happens sometimes when contact is made when you’re skating.

Like I said, there are more reckless (and intentional) plays made night in and night out that could result in severe harm and sometimes do, at a higher rate than a skate blade cutting someone.

 

[Rcknrollkillnmachine]

Petgrave should be out of hockey permanently and Johnson's parents should sue the crap out of him.

Saying that I recall Petgrave getting a round of applause from Sheffield Steelers fans days after tragedy which made me quite sick so I have a feeling he will find a hockey job and this will all be swept under the carpet.

 

[Shrimper]

No, I mean having actual consequences for negligent actions that kill someone.

How can you punish someone for an accident?

 

[Jumptheshark]

Before going to far down how many of you view the law. Remember these charges would have come from healthy safety laws here in the UK. This is a separate wing of criminal law here in the UK. You first need to read and understand the health and safety act of 1974.

Here is a starting point of reading. You can go further via other links in the link below. And yes, I have been court over situations where someone was injured who worked with me. Health and safety in the UK is nuts

Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 - HSE

Contains links to various pieces of legislation, as well as the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974

www.hse.gov.uk

Go down the rabit hole of crazy

 

[I Hate Blake Coleman]

Why would there be charges anyway? Freak accident.

It's a joke they even considered charging the guy.

 

[Edmonton East]

I remember watching the video of Petgrave killing Johnson at the time. Went in expecting a terrible freak accident....and instead seeing the most reckless, disgusting hockey "play" in my life. I just watched it again for the first time in years. Still just as horrific and unacceptable.

I love this place. Hard playoff hits are treated and whined about as if manslaughter. All Sexual Assault claims are instantly enough to 100% convict any player immediately, no evidence or trial needed. But actually karate kicking a player in the neck on video and killing him is okay.

Again, the video should be posted in the OP. Along with all of Petgrave's other dumbass plays throughout his trash career. Guy is a scumbag.

 

[Midnight Judges]

Legally this seems like the right call.

Simultaneously I am far from convinced of this being an innocent event. It’s just that it’s effectively impossible to prove.

 

[Beerz]

I don't know the British legal system i don't what charges are available ect..

But his actions were about as reckless as they come. It was intentional. Was he intentionally trying to hurt him? No ...he just didn't want Johnson to get by him and he intentionally swung his leg around recklessly and caused his death..just like he has done previously in Junior games.

He should of been charged with something.

 

[Beerz]

Legally this seems like the right call.

Simultaneously I am far from convinced of this being an innocent event. It’s just that it’s effectively impossible to prove.

It's really not impossible to prove... it is on video and staring everyone in the face.

 

[Beerz]

Petgrave should be out of hockey permanently and Johnson's parents should sue the crap out of him.

Saying that I recall Petgrave getting a round of applause from Sheffield Steelers fans days after tragedy which made me quite sick so I have a feeling he will find a hockey job and this will all be swept under the carpet.

That was disgusting.