Home > Crime > Trooper Terminated For Ignoring Chase Suspect In Burning Wreckage

Trooper Terminated For Ignoring Chase Suspect In Burning Wreckage

February 23, 2012 at 9:29 am by kniption

North Knox County, TN - Trooper Charles Van Morgan has been terminated, after an incident in which, according to his his supervisor, Van Morgan knowingly passed the scene of a crash of a vehicle he had been pursuing that resulted in the driver’s death. Dashcam video and Van Morgan’s statements and actions after the crash contributed to the case against him.

In November 2011, Van Morgan was in pursuit of Kyle Anito, 20, for speeding. The dashcam video shows the high speed chase in which Anito progressively gains distance on Trooper Van Morgan. About one minute and 20 seconds into the released dashcam video, Van Morgan is seen rounding a corner and passing by a plume of smoke from the burning wreckage of a car that had crashed into a tree. At this instant, Van Morgan slows his car from 51mph to 21ph. He then re-accelerates, radios that he is terminating the pursuit, and pulls off on the side of the road about 1/2 mile up.

Procedure dictates that a trooper remain on the side of the road for at least one minute before shutting off a dashcam. Van Morgan does. During this time, Van Morgan suggests that he may double back to look for his speeder ‘in case he crashed.’ Before he does this – at approximately five minutes in to the dashcam video – a radio call notifies Van Morgan of a crash nearby that ‘might be his speeder.’

Van Morgan returns to the scene about one minute later. Before exiting the vehicle he radios that ‘someone is in the car and he can’t get to him.’ He then approaches the vehicle while discharging a fire extinguisher into the air. His supervisor described the fire extinguisher work at the car as “haphazard.” It seemed to me to be more of a Mayan sacrifice of CO2 to the heavens. Regardless, the attempt was unsuccessful.

A letter recommending his termination written by Colonel T.G. Trott, the commander of the THP, describes Van Morgan telling other members of the force that he was “just trying to put on a show” with his use of the fire extinguisher. Van Morgan also told the hearing officer that he saw the car when first passing it during the pursuit, but thought that it was parked at the tree.

Nobody is quite sure why Van Morgan would have deliberately ignored the crash. Trott said that he had no problem with the pursuit – only the aftermath. But, Van Morgan had been involved in a previous pursuit resulting in death. He also had 13 reprimands in the last 4 years. Or, maybe it was the paperwork…

Van Morgan was terminated earlier this week after an unsuccessful appeal. He has vowed a second appeal. It has also been reported that Van Morgan has been named in a $10 million lawsuit filed by Anito’s parents.

…and, as icing on the cake, Tennessee authorities have dropped over 100 cases in which Van Morgan was the arresting officer – because Van Morgan is no longer seen as a credible witness. Defendants such as Justin Ryan Kinard, 37, who faced a charge of vehicular assault on a child will walk free.

So, students of human behavior, what was he thinking?

Tags: Charles Van Morgan, Chase, crash, dashcam video, Kyle Anito, Tennessee, trooper

61 Comments

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http://pulse.yahoo.com/_SZTEOIXOLRM5M2VDKZHSZICFDA CDJ527

I don’t know what he was thinking, but I can sure tell you what I’m thinking. He’s a piece of shit and should be kicked in the nuts, repeatedly.
MidwestDiva

He is just a lazy ass bad cop. All professions have lazy asses who don’t do their jobs (while feeling quite self righteous about their behavior/performance/entitlement). He deserves to be fired and I hope his appeal is a loser.
cynhunter

It appears to me that he is just tired of his job and was looking for a way out without having to quit. Either that or he just did not want to hassle with the paper work. Whatever the reason, it is unfortunate that he did this and all the people arrested by him will be set free, unless they were all victims of his as well.
Lena60

What an evil bastard.He deserves some prison time.
Lena60

His smug self was thinking he could get away with this, one more time…fail.
tkaz

I don’t know what he was thinking, it seems to me he didn’t even cover his tracks well. If the dashcam is on it sort of prompts one to do the right thing.
But I really like that you called us students of human behavior…..seriously, we should get college credit for decoding people we read about here.
sugarpie

What better evidence for the family than the guys own video cam. How many reprimands does it take before you figure out you’ll eventually have a 10 million dollar lawsuite for your douchebag of an employee?
rensuchan

The whole 13 reprimands in the last 4 years thing makes me think he was just a piece of shit rather than trying to get out.
JohnQknowitall

He sounds like an egomaniacal former police officer who interpreted the law in a different way than his peers and the American judicial system. He should have been fired previously and the lesson might be that if you are going to be incompetent, then at least be smart enough to not do really stupid things to draw attention to yourself.
Texas Ranger

Somehow I feel like this asshat just got away with murder.
Jury

I don’t know, maybe it’s Anito’s fault for breaking the law. If he wasn’t speeding the crash would never had happened.
ViewerBeware

Maybe I’m in the minority but didn’t th is speeder get his just desserts as well? I mean if he didn’t run from this cop then he wouldn’t have crashed, if he wouldn’t have crashed then he might still be alive today, albeit in custody perhaps.

The officers actions are deplorable but in some twisted sense also understandable.
Evan Oswald

i’ve always said cool cops does exist, because they are called EMTs and fire fighters..
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http://twitter.com/AngelsMom0806 Angels Mom

Since he was terminated won’t he lose his pension? Wow..I bet he’s kicking himself in the tail right now.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Megan-Stokes-Abdin/659843306 Megan Stokes Abdin

Can anyone say sociopath? May he never find a job other than a busboy…..Sick old man.
reapre

To answer your question, Knipton:

“He hit a tree? Lol, good, fucker deserved it, shouldna been committin’ crimes and runnin’ ” (what I’m saying in my head watching cops).

I do know that’ll be seen by some as “D= how could you, you insensitive $%&!”

…I’m just not gonna lie. Do you honestly feel bad for the bad guys that get their asses handed too them in cops, and from your perspective, deserved it? Didn’t think so.
JGo555

What was he thinking? He was thinking that this fuck reaped what he sowed. He wanted to speed & run & his consequence was crashing and lighting his ass on fyah!

Surprise! Mommy & daddy are mad & are gonna sue because their little angel decided to not do as he was told and FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS.

I fucking hate all of these POS that are gonna get free because this fuckwad decided to run from them popos.
JGo555

That’s how I see it. The dude brought this upon himself by not slowing down once the cops caught his ass.
takurospirit

I think he was stupid for fleeing the police officer, but I certainly don’t think he deserved to burn to death for it if it could have been avoided. I don’t know that it could have been, nor do I even know if he was still alive. But the cop didn’t do all he could have done. And it seemed to me the cop thought he had some right to judge that this guy deserved death. To me, it’s obvious he purposefully let the man die. And that isn’t right.
TheDevilsInTheDetails

This kid was speeding, not murdering someone. We don’t even know if the kid knew the cop was in pursuit. Every single one of us has broken the speed limit at some point in our lives. This boy was young and dumb and at an age where they think they are invincible.
The cop, on the other hand, has been around the block a time or two. It appears that he DID see the wreck as he went past, then deliberately ended the pursuit and parked for several minutes while that young man burned to death.
I think he wanted that boy to die. Maybe he gets off on it. While I don’t expect the police to jump into the flames, this guy made no real effort at all, not to get to the wreck, and certainly not using the fire extinguisher in an efficient manner. The length of time it took him to get out of his car and approach the vehicle was ridiculous. I’ve seen babies crawl faster.
We won’t be surprised the next time we see this psycho in the Demon, I’m sure.
Hellioness

Can I just co-sign this?
http://www.facebook.com/michelle.shonk Michelle Shonk

This was a 20 year old who did something stupid. I hope all who posted something about getting what you deserve remember when you were 20 and some of the stupid things you did or bad decisions you made. I am a believer in punishment and feel the kid needed to be charged according to the law. Death not a commensurate punishment for this offense. Hope none of your kids ever make a mistake. The GROWN officer had a responsibility to make a REAL attempt to save this kid and he is a douche. Protect and serve…innocent until proven guilty. This dash cam says it all.
reapre

“This kid was speeding, not murdering someone” -One may lead to the other, even though intent isn’t there, it’s still vehicular homicide. 8 seconds after the cop car passes the wreck, he passes a house on the left. If the driver would’ve swerved to the left 8 seconds later, he could’ve killed multiple people in front of that house.

I do agree however, that he had no intent on helping the kid in a timely manner.
lyssdexia

Just to play Devil’s Advocate for a second… I have to agree that the speeder was the cause of his own tragedy. If he had been following just a couple of the laws he willfully chose to ignore he would probably still be alive.

That being said, I don’t think we have enough information about the cop to form any valid opinion. His actions seem almost mentally ill to me – denial of reality, super-slow response time, abnormal reaction to a very traumatic scene. Plus the fact that he had a previous car chase that ended in much the same way. If I was his lawyer, I’d be thinking about PSTD. As far as his previous reprimands are concerned, we don’t have any idea what those are about – but they could also be job-stress related, or even symptomatic of chronic depression or some other psychological problem.

I guess that reading the D’D has put some pretty dark crime scene photos in my head, and I have a bit more sympathy for those in law enforcement these days. So, yeah. He might just be a lazy, wornout rag of uselessness – or he might be something else. I’ll wait until I have a little bit more info before I pronounce judgement.

And Morbid, thanks for asking! : )
reapre

“The GROWN officer had a responsibility to make a REAL attempt to save this kid”

I’m not arguing. I also see no possible way to defend (most of) the cops actions. They were negligent, and lead directly to the kids death.

I was 20, and did do stupid shit…But I shyed away from the whole, you know “trying to go to jail part” by evading arrests for wreckless endangerment and speeding (79 in a 40 while trying to outrun the red and blues in the rearview). I took my speeding tickets, and paid them.

There’s a difference between a “mistake” (as you call it) and straight up being an asshole, the kid and the cop both are guilty of the latter.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000460040808 Trish Taylor

I was thinking the same thing and I’m not sure I could’ve said it any better. The kid was wrong for fleeing but didn’t deserve to be burnt to a crisp. That cop needs some prison time along with his $10 mil lawsuit because after watching that video I’m saying that was clearly murder!
http://www.facebook.com/DragonDestiny Leah Rainwater

He should be tried for murder, because that’s basically what that was…
reapre

Murder? A bit harsh, ya think?

His direct actions, didn’t KILL the kid. The kids own actions killed himself.

I can see maybe criminal negligence and leaving the scene of an accident without calling for help…but Murder, no.
curiousalways

I have mixed feelings on this. The kid runs away from the police thereby causing his own crash and yet the policeman should have to risk his life (I’m assuming a car could explode with leaking gas, fire and the impact-I really don’t know) to save him. I think the cop is scum in some ways, but it would be a different story here if he had been killed trying to save the kid.
kimbev69

If he would have called someone right away instead of parkin down the rOad who knows if the kid would have died
Valerie

If you read the linked article, the preliminary autopsy showed that he died on impact. The officer should have stopped, but I don’t feel sorry for the guy that died. At least this time it was the idiot breaking the law and not an innocent family.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=818709360 Billy Madatchu

i predict we will read about this guy again possibly killing someone “accidentally” or something… or maybe that dude that crashed had some dirt on him… because it appears as thought the guy wanted the kid to die
Valerie

To answer your question, Morbid, he was probably thinking:
Fuck you. You made me chase you all this way, risking my life, you can sit in your fucking car until someone else finds you, I am not going to risk my life pulling your dumb ass out of your burning car.

Or he probably figured the idiot would be able to get out on his own. Who knows, maybe he was also telling the truth that he thought someone parked their car in a tree and lit it on fire.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=818709360 Billy Madatchu

I AM APPALLED that nobody is caring about the poor tree… just sitting there minding its own business and then has to deal with the trauma of seeing a creature senselessly killed and all the fire damage.. that tree is surely going to need counseling and most likely it will sue.
Deety

If the cop had immediately turned around and gone back, and then decided it was too dangerous to try to help, I would cut him some slack. But he didn’t even care that some moron could be burning to death in a fiery automobile. He gives law enforcement professionals a bad name.
Deety

OMG, you’re right. I feel so insensitive now!

Any word on the tree’s condition?
curiousalways

good point
http://www.facebook.com/ericagieras Erica Gieras

he shouldn’t have run from the cops…there is NO WAY IN HELL that he was “unaware” he was being chased. Maybe he didn’t notice the wreckage at first. He was driving by so fast, I didn’t even see it until I reread the article and it stated to look at 1:20 on the video. The car wasn’t on fire at that point. I don’t generally like cops but in this case the kid was at fault. Looks like he won’t be running from the cops no more.
Califboy

Your going out on a limb with that story!!!!
Califboy

Medics are stumped with the condition of the tree.
kniption

I appreciate your bringing the autopsy conclusion up in a comment. That said, I intentionally did not include it in the write-up because of relevance. It is easy to say “well… the kid was already dead” but that is more-or-less just a convenient fact in hindsight here.

If the cop intentionally decided not to render aid, it was certainly not due to clairvoyance.

While I am here, I might as well throw in my two cents. My doing it here has nothing to do with your comment, Valerie. We probably agree.
_____

Did the kid fuck up? Of course. Should the cop have rendered aid in spite of it? Hell yes.

Do firefighters ask why a fire started and then refuse to fight the ones that were due to negligence or stupidity? No. Does an EMT leave the scene if it turns out that someone is hurt through their own fault? No. They call these jobs “public service jobs” for a reason and – news flash folks – the public is mostly pretty damned stupid. That’s why they need so much service.

So, if you want to be paid to be a cop and take that oath and all that stuff, then you had better – at the very least – pull your fucking thumb out of your ass long enough to spray a tax-payer-funded fire extinguisher in the general direction of a taxpayer who happens to be on fire. …or at least try. I don’t care how bad of a day you are having.
narthby

He probably should be fired. He is not responsible for that man’s death. But for the fact that the idiot decided to run from the police he wouldn’t have crashed. Now he’s dead. Too bad.
Chinchillazilla

Yeah, I mean, don’t get me wrong, the cop’s a piece of shit, but I can understand the mindset. “Well, if you hate cops so much, I don’t guess you want me to save you, huh?”
Lena60

I agree, It did not say why this kid was speeding,He certainly did not deserve to die that way. For someone who by oath is sworn to uphold the law and then pulls this shit, makes me sick for so many reasons.This dudes needs his ass handed to him in a paper bag.
Valerie

You are right, he was supposed to stop. If it really was that he did not see the car (highly unlikely considering that he slowed down and later drove exactly to the spot it had wrecked), then it’s too bad that he lost his job. It’s more of a salve for the conscience that the kid died on impact. It’s worse to think of him burning to death in that car. I do look down on people that speed excessively, though, I had a really good friend that is hurt for life due to some asshat driving like an idiot (he hit her head on when she was no her way home from work).
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_ILPQLAVPZO22BZULRII6JUZ5QQ Breccia Breccia

nope. The cop was paid to protect and serve.
it’s NOT his place to decide who to protect and who to serve.
kniption

I am sorry to read of your friend. …and, again, that part of my response was in no means directed at you. I am also not discounting the kids actions at all. It’s just that – in these situations – cops are supposed to rise above. At least, my naive views tells me so.

That is what I found interesting about the news story. It had a lot going on.
ViewerBeware

When did I ever say I hate cops? You are either a complete retard or just can’t read. What I said is that the officers actions were deplorable, not that all cops in general are. With that said, I get why he would say forget it and let this guy become a crispy critter. Doesn’t mean he shouldn’t have at least tried to help the guy.
hershey

VB, reread Chinch’s post. He was saying that is probably what the cop was thinking, not you.
Valerie

I never took offense, I agree that they are supposed to be heroes, even when they don’t want to be.
Zwietracht

Bah. I live in Knoxville and this has been a huge thing around here for awhile (this place is a ‘bigger’ city that acts like a small town). Personally, I think this guy’s a dick, not unlike most cops. Maybe even a little more of one.
shanshanity

I think it is bloody laughable that only a few decades ago a 20 year old would have been considered a man,would most likely have been married and had a kid or two but nowadays they are just ‘kids’ and we should give them slack because they are just ‘kids’.

Come on now.He was not a kid,He would have known better and should have done so.
You play with fire….ah,you know the rest.
Refer to video for better understanding :0
shanshanity

Well the firefighters might not put the fire out if you haven’t paid the levy.
http://www.facebook.com/michelle.shonk Michelle Shonk

Twenty is still a kid IMHO. This is not a few decades ago, let’s keep it it he present tense. While the kid was the cause of his demise, the actions of this officer are deplorable. As an officer he had a responsibility and I stand by my opinion.
http://www.facebook.com/michelle.shonk Michelle Shonk

Kid made a mistake. The officer was the bigger asshole of the two.
Califboy

Ya he should have been the grown up in this situation.
Califboy

With the right lawyer the kids family would have a case here in Cali.
Grumpy_Bear

Not when the bad guy gets arrested, but when he dies, that’s completely different. I never think “Good! He deserved it.” when someone dies.
http://profile.yahoo.com/N72MYDZRHM6JXX5RX65OB43624 Wild

Hey the guy got away though. Maybe in a body bag, mission accomplished.
http://profile.yahoo.com/R3V6V3Q7QGKD7VNEERO3BQ7UZI EmRose

If he thought the car was just “parked there” then why didnt he stop to persue the guy that was running from him? Obviously pure negligence! He should never have been a cop to begin with. I hope he ends up doing some jail time, but we all know he wont. Im sure he is getting paid leave while they are investigating. How sad for that young mans family. Obviously the man made some wrong choices, but cops aren’t supposed to choose who they serve and protect.
http://www.facebook.com/clayton.knudsen1 Clayton Knudsen

Every one of the thousands of hardworking selfless officers that perform their duties every single day, knowing full well that their own lives could be taken at any minute during their shift have been harmed with this “trooper’s” actions. I know there are officers out there (like this one) who does not need to have a badge on their shirt. I know in my heart that if I call 911 right now, one or many more officers will do their best to get to my house as quickly as possible. I do know have to wonder who, what, where, or when. I sleep at night knowing that. We all make the jokes. I have seen first hand what lousy officers have done TO ME. The worthless people like this and the DEA agents that left the man in a cell in San Diego, each one of them need fired AND put behind bars themselves. I just wanted to put my 2 cents worth in. I am not an officer, I do not have any in my family. I do respect the badge, and the person wearing it. Until they give me reason not to.