University of Missouri PD

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1 University Missouri PD Print Date/Time: Login ID: 02/25/ :11 richak1 ORI Number: MO Case Number: Case s: Case Number: Location: 601 S PROVIDENCE RD Columbia,MO 6520 Incident Type: Occured From: Occured Thru: Reported Date: Death Investigation 02/22/ :44 02/22/ :00 02/22/ :44 Saturday Reporting Officer ID: Scene Processed By: Assigned Bureau: 26-Harrington Detective Status: Disposition: Exc Clear: Open Open - Active Status Date: Disposition Date: Exc Clear Date: 02/22/ /22/2014 Case Assignments: Assigned Officer Assignment Date/Time Assignment Type Assigned By Officer Due Date/Time 2-Easley 02/25/ :00 Investigator 12-Spalding 0/25/ :00 Associated Cases Status Assisting ORIs Role Modus Operandi Solvability Factors Weight Offenses Total: Subjects Type No. Name Address Phone Race Sex DOB/Age Complainant 1 Alwan, Ghazwan 601 S PROVIDENCE RD White Male 12/2/1984 Columbia,MO Arrests Property Vehicles 1 1

2 University Missouri PD Case Number: Easley Supplement/Photographs Sam Easley Supplement/Photographs 02/22/14 On 02/22/14, at approximately 059 hours, I, Detective Sam Easley, received a phone call from Sgt. Shawn Spalding. Sgt. Spalding informed me that there was an incident that occurred at the University Village Apartments, involving a partial collapse a structure. Sgt. Spalding directed me to respond to the scene and obtain photographs for documentation or evidentiary purposes. At approximately 0606 hours, I responded to University Village Apartments, Building 707. Upon arrival I was contacted by Chief Jack Watring and briefed on the situation. Officers Joshua Harrington, Dustin Heckmaster, and Sgt. Alan Fish were present at the scene. At the time Officer Heckmaster was keeping a log individuals who were entering and exiting the scene, which had been secured with police tape around the affected area. Upon initial observation the scene, I observed a large section the 2nd floor walkway Building 707 to be completely collapsed. I estimated the section walkway collapsed to be approximately forty feet long. I also observed what appeared to be severe rusting on the metal, underneath the existing walkway, where the collapsed portion walkway separated and exposed a portion the remaining concrete. I also observed substantial rusting on the outer metal portion the walkway. Upon observation, the remaining exposed concrete the existing walkway appeared to be in a deteriorated state. The concrete the remaining walkway looked to be flaking and distressed. While obtaining photographs the scene, I observed several individuals walking around the scene wearing hard hats, and I determined they were engineers surveying the scene. I was able to obtain several overview photographs the scene, and attempted to take multiple close up photographs the collapsed walkway. However due to safety issues, I had to maintain a certain distance from the scene, therefore limiting my ability to obtain extreme close up shots. While photographing the scene, Officer Heckmaster informed me that he overheard engineers talking near the scene about the walkway being severely deteriorated over time due to age, elements, and salt. Heckmaster stated he heard them mention something about the seam where the concrete walkway met the side the building being deteriorated. I have attempted to contact Thomas Trabue, the Principal with THHinc Consulting Engineers, and left a voice message for him to return my call. Trabue was on scene the same time I was there surveying the collapsed walkway. I would like to speak with Trabue to determine a more formal determination cause incident. While still at the scene the incident, Officer Heckmaster handed me a brown paper bag containing boots, a blue plastic bag containing a pair bunker pants, a blue job shirt, and pair dark colored pants and other undergarments. The boots and clothing were worn by Lt. Britt when this incident occurred. Officer Heckmaster had collected the items at the hospital where Lt. Britt was transported. Later on the morning 02/22/14, Sgt. Alan Fish gave me additional clothing items that were provided to him by the Columbia Fire Department. The items were a bunker coat, red pouch containing fire hood and mask, a duty glove, and helmet. All items belonged to Lt. Britt, but were recovered from the fire truck after the incident, and were not worn by Lt. Britt when the incident occurred. Sgt. Fish also gave me Lt. Britt personal cellular phone to place in safe keeping as well, per request the Columbia Fire Department. I collected all items described above and placed them into our evidence room at the University Missouri Police Department until further instructions are provided. On 02/2/14, I was contacted by Sgt. Christopher Groves in reference to items he had been given by crews working at the scene this incident. Sgt. Groves gave me Lt. Britt s CFD hat and radio that he had been wearing when the incident occurred as well as a gray metal piece with unknown purpose. I collected the items from Sgt. Groves and placed them into the evidence room at the University Missouri in until further instructions are provided. 2 1

3 University Missouri PD Case Number: Easley Supplement/Additonal Photographs Sam Easley Supplement/Additional Photographs 02/24/14 On 02/24/14, I, Detective Sam Easley, with the assistance Officer David Licklider, photographed the following items for documentation purposes. I photographed one pair boots, one bunker coat, one pair bunker pants, one blue job shirt, one pair dark colored pants, one fire hood and mask, one helmet, one glove, one I-Phone, one CFD hat, one CFD radio, one gray metal piece, and a remaining blue bag undergarments. The blue bag containing the additional undergarments appeared to have blood on them and were noticed by Officer Licklider during further inspection. All property described above was either worn by Lt. Britt when the incident occurred, or was property his at the time and was located in the fire truck he was riding in to the scene. The items photographed will be picked up in the near future by the Columbia Police Department. 1

4 University Missouri PD Case Number: Easley Supplement/Pickup items Sam Easley Supplement/Pickup items 02/25/14 On 02/25/14, Columbia Police Detective Julie Ray collected the items described in my previous supplements. Evidence Custodian Ernest Barbie released the property to Ray, and a property receipt was completed. I will place the property receipt into the case file in the near future. 4 1

5 University Missouri PD Case Number: OfficerID: Harrij7, Original Narrative On Saturday, February 22, 2014, approximately 0444 hours, I, Officer Joshua Harrington (26), was dispatched to an incident at University Village. Investigation to follow. 5 1

6 University Missouri PD Case Number: OfficerID: Harrij7, Supplement Investigative Narrative I was dispatched to a reported ro collapse at apartment 707 the University Village apartment complex. Communications reported that residents were trapped inside the building. I responded immediately, activating emergency lights and sirens as needed. When I arrived, I saw a Columbia Fire Department (CFD) truck entering the apartment complex from the north driveway f Providence Road. I followed a CFD supervisor vehicle into the complex, after it turned to follow the fire truck. We arrived at building 707 at about the same time as another fire truck and CFD supervisor vehicle. Officer Rodney Stewart and Sergeant Alan Fish also arrived at about the same time. I saw the building number which confirmed we were at building 707. At the University Village, each building is individually numbered. The apartments are identified by letter, within each building. No apartment letter had been provided by Communications. In my initial observation building 707, I could not see any damage. Because the darkness and my position relative to the position the ro, I could not see the ro. I did not see any residents outside the building. No residents were visibly through any windows the building. I saw Sergeant Fish and at least one Columbia Fire Department firefighter checking building 707, presumably attempting to locate the trapped residents. I inquired about the apartment number the caller. I was advised that the individual apartment was not known. I was about to begin expanding the search to nearby buildings, to see if a different building s ro had collapsed. I was standing near my patrol vehicle, which was parked near the northwest side the building. It should be noted that the front building 707 is one the long sides the building. The building faces roughly northeast. There are apartment doors on the first floor and on the second floor on the front side the building. There are no back doors for the apartments. There are exterior stairs at each the short sides the building. There is a balcony on the second floor that runs the length the front side the building. Further detail about the appearance building 707 is documented in the photographs available for this case. Suddenly I heard a loud noise from the front building 707. I then heard Sergeant Fish yell something on the radio. Officer Stewart and I ran toward the noise at the front the building. I saw Sergeant Fish come running down the northwest stairs building 707. I think there was one firefighter with him. I saw a large amount debris at the south end the building. A large section the second floor balcony had collapsed onto the first floor. The collapsed section extended from the south end the building to the second apartment, as measured from the south end the building. The collapsed section appeared to be partially supported by the frame a blue bicycle. I began shining my flashlight on the debris as another firefighter was nearby. I saw something reflective under the large balcony section. After a moment I realized that it was the color a firefighter s reflective gear. I called out that someone was trapped under the balcony section. At about that time another firefighter began assisting the one trapped under the balcony. Officer Stewart and I asked what we could do to help. Several more firefighters rushed in and began what appeared to be a rescue operation. After what seemed to be several long minutes, they were able to retrieve the firefighter by raising part the collapsed balcony f him. I saw one firefighter performing chest compressions on the firefighter being rescued as he was being transported on a stretcher into the ambulance. I remained on scene and assisted by taking photographs, as requested by Sergeant Fish. My photographs the scene are preserved on the EvidencePictures server. 6 1

7 University Missouri PD Case Number: I also assisted by placing crime scene tape around the scene, as directed. I assisted Officer Stewart with maintaining the crime scene log. I was positioned on the north side building 707 while Officer Stewart was positioned on the east side. Officer Stewart maintained the main entrance to the scene. My position along the north side was not visible from Officer Stewart s location. I informed Officer Stewart via radio when someone entered or left the scene along the north side, so that he could document it on the log. See supplemental reports from other ficers for further details. 7 1

8 University Missouri PD Case Number: OfficerID: Stewar2, Supplement Investigative Narrative On 02/22/14 at approximately 0444 hours, I, Rodney Stewart, responded to University Village building 707 to assist Officer Joshua Harrington with what was reported as a collapsed ro in an apartment. Upon arrival, Columbia Fire Department (CFD) personnel and EMS were in the area attempting to locate building 707. CFD located building 707 and from a higher vantage point determined the ro appeared intact and communicated the information over the radio. Not knowing if 707 was the correct building, Officer Harrington and I began looking for signs damage to other buildings in the area. As I was walking between building 707 and 708, I heard a loud crash coming from 707 and observed a cloud dust at the eastern edge the building. I began running toward the area as Sergeant Alan Fish advised over the radio the second floor walkway had collapsed. I arrived at the scene the collapse and I observed a CFD fireman trapped under the debris, which consisted large sections the concrete pad from the walkway above. Officer Harrington and I fered our assistance to the fireman at the scene. Additional CFD personnel arrived on scene and began the extrication the fireman and the evacuation the ground floor resident on the western side the building. Upon CFD's completion the extrication the fireman, I secured an inner perimeter around the entire structure building 707 using yellow police tape. CFD personnel evacuated the remaining residents building 707 at the rear the building through the apartment windows. After the residents were removed, I identified Apartment H resident, Ghazwan Alwan, as the original complainant for the incident. Alwan said he was sleeping in his bedroom when a loud noise startled him awake. Alwan said he believed the noise to be coming from the ro the building. Alwan said he dialed 911 believing his safety was in jeopardy. Alwan said approximately minutes after calling 911, he observed emergency lights in the distance from his bedroom window, which faces toward his building's parking lot and MO16. Alwan said as he was looking out his window, he noticed the walkway in front his second floor apartment had a significant "dip" in the floor. Alwan said he also observed something unknown to him "hanging" from the walkway, which was out place. Alwan said he was at his window when he was contacted by a police ficer, Sgt. Fish, and observed 2 firemen on the walkway. Alwan said as he was speaking to Sgt. Fish, he heard a fireman at the door to his apartment manipulating the lockset. Alwan said the walkway in front his apartment collapsed as the fireman was at his apartment door and Sgt. Fish was at his bedroom window. At 0555 hours, I began a crime scene entry log. Facilities personnel responded into the secured area and shut down utility services to the structure. Each subject's name, time entry, and time exit were documented. Officer Dustin Heckmaster relieved me from my post at approximately 0701 hours. For further, see Officer Harrington's investigative report. Nothing further at this time. 8 1

9 University Missouri PD Case Number: OfficerID: Fisha, Supplement Investigative Narrative On at approximately 0445 hours, I Sgt. Alan Fish, responded to 707 University Village for a report a possible ro collapse from a unidentified 2nd floor apartment. Upon arrival I made contact with fire fighters from Snozzel 1 which included CFD Lt. Bruce Britt and CFD Fire Fighter Cash. Also on the truck was Engineer / Driver Kale Brucks. Lt. Britt, Fire Fighter Cash and I made our way up the north stairs. Lt. Britt was in front me with firefighter Cash next to me as we walked south on the walkway. Lt. Britt was knocking on doors as we went. I observed two residents Apartment H standing at their window and stopped to ask them if they had heard anything, as Lt. Britt continued on. The male resident, later identified as Fhazwan Alwan, advised that he did and that he had called 911. I asked him if they were the ones trapped in their bedroom. Just then I head a loud bang and I began looking to my left. I observed the concrete walkway collapsing towards me and brick being pull f the front the building, I could no longer see Lt. Britt who had fallen. I turned to my right and began to run with Fire Fighter Cash towards the north end. Once reaching the stairs I notified dispatch the walkway collapse and saw Officer Stewart and Harrington running towards the south end the building. Fire Fighter Cash and I reached the area where Lt. Britt and fallen and discovered he was trapped under the walkway. My perception was that the walkway began falling from the south end and outer edge next to the railing, with the side connected to the building falling a split second later. As the outside edge dropped the side which was against the wall, pivoted on the brick facade then tipping forward landing with the walkway upside down. The walkway collapsed from the entire south end stopping just feet from the bedroom window apartment H. Fire Fighter Cash may have had a better vantage point since he was not actively engage in talking to the residents H at the window. Additional fire fighters from the other trucks rushed to the collapse and began working to free Lt. Britt who was later transported to University Hospital where he was pronounced dead. At the same time they were trying to free Lt. Britt, other CFD members were beginning the evacuation the building. I notified Dispatch to contact Campus Facilities as well as Res-Life to notify them the incident and to set up alternative housing. I also contacted Chief Watring and Captain Weimer to advised them the incident. I also made contact with CFD Division Chief Jerry Jinkens to find out what additional assistance we could provide. At approximately 0545 hours Officer Harrington set up a outer perimeter with crime scene tape while Officer Stewart set up a inner perimeter closer to the building. Officer Stewart began a Crime Scene Log to document people who entered the inner perimeter and Officer Harrington took preliminary photos. At approximately 0600 hours, when Officer Heckmaster came in-service I instructed him to responded to the University Hospital to collect the equipment and belongings Lt. Britt per the request Jinkens for evidence which were later turned over to Detective Easley. At Approximately 0700 hours, Detective Easley arrived on scene to continue the investigation. Division Chief Jinkens invited me to attend the CFD debriefing at Fire Station 1, which I attended. At approximately 0800 hours, I further assisted CFD by collecting the following items from the right front seat Snozzel

10 University Missouri PD Case Number: Bunker Jacket Lt. Britt 2. Red bag. face mask 4. nomex fire hood 5. pair white gloves 6. Helmet Lt. Britt 7. Single brown glove 8. I-Phone belonging to Lt. Britt I turned these items over to Detective Easley who will place them into evidence. See reports from Officer Harrington, Officer Stewart, and Detective Easley for further. 10 1

11 University Missouri PD Case Number: OfficerID: Hecked, Supplement Investigative Narrative On at approximately 0600 hours I, Officer Heckmaster, responded to the University Missouri Hospital in reference to this investigation. I collected one bag clothing and one pair work boots from the emergency room trauma unit. I next responded to the University Village apartment complex building 707. While on scene I relieved Officer Stewart and took over documentation personnel entering and leaving the crime scene. I also assisted in maintaining the perimeter during Detective Easley's investigation. 11 1

12 University Missouri PD Case Number: OfficerID: Grovec2, Supplement Investigative Narrative On , at 0910 hours, I, Sergeant Christopher Groves, was contacted by University employee John Neal, , at University Village Apartments. Neal stated they had begun removing the concrete slab from building 707 and were finding some items personal property. Neal and I recovered a fire sprinkler wedge/clamp, a Columbia Fire Department ball cap and a portable radio. These items were recovered from the lower sidewalk area, approximately 5 feet right/northwest the apartment B door. Apartment B is under apartment H. The Motorola radio was damaged, the screen was broken and the battery was distorted. The radio was model H18KEF9PW6AN, serial number 20CGT4455. At 110 hours I turned these items over to Detective Easley. They were secured in the evidence room. 12 1

13 University Missouri PD Case Number: Reporting Officer Routing: Date: 1 2 1