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Doctor: Iraqi May Have Been Fatally Wounded
An Iraqi who was shot by a U.S. tank company commander now charged with murder appears to have been mortally wounded before the officer fired, a doctor testified Thursday. U.S. Army Capt. Rogelio Maynulet, 29, faces a possible court-martial for the May 21 death of a driver for militant Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr near Kufa, south of Baghdad. He denies the charges of murder and dereliction of duty. He was leading his 1st Armored Division tank company on a patrol when it came across a BMW sedan believed to be carrying al-Sadr militiamen and a chase ensued. U.S. soldiers fired at the vehicle, wounding both the driver and passenger.As hearings to determine whether Maynulet should be court-martialed concluded, a U.S. military surgeon told the court he had repeatedly viewed the incident in footage recorded by an American drone aircraft. Maj. Robert Knetsche said he could not determine conclusively whether body movements by the wounded driver were voluntary, or involuntary after he was brain dead. But he added, "I think that he had lethal injuries." Speaking of Maynulet, he said: "I think what he did was an act of mercy." Posted by: Steve White 2004-10-15 |
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