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U.S. Soldier Faces Charges for Killing
An Army officer was arraigned Friday on charges of dereliction of duty and assault with intent to commit murder in the killing of a critically wounded Iraqi, a military spokesman said. Capt. Rogelio Maynulet, whose fellow officers say he shot the man to end his suffering, did not enter a plea at the hearing in Wiesbaden, Germany. The charges carry a maximum combined sentence of 20 1/2 years, said Maj. Michael Indovina.The 29-year-old from Chicago told The Associated Press that he's been overwhelmed with support, including a Web site petition that has more than 400 signatures. "I probably can't say the same for family and friends, I feel bad that they have had to go through this all, but I'm doing fine," Maynulet said in a telephone interview following his arraignment. "The support I'm getting from other members of the military is incredible." The charges stem from a May 21 incident when Maynulet was leading his tank company on a patrol near the city of Kufa, south of Baghdad, where heavy fighting had been reported. They encountered a sedan thought to be carrying a driver for al-Sadr and another militiaman loyal to the cleric, whose supporters rose up against U.S. forces twice this year. U.S. soldiers chased the vehicle and fired at it, wounding both the driver and passenger. Posted by: Steve White 2004-12-18 |
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