Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Arizona Cops Put On Leave After Bodycam Video Allegedly Shows Them Watching As Man Drowns

Arizona Cops Put On Leave After Bodycam Video Allegedly Shows Them Watching As Man Drowns
Fox 10 Phoenix/YouTube

Three Arizona police officers are on administrative leave after public outcry over accusations they let a man drown.

Bodycam footage has gone viral as commenters give their thoughts on the situation.


According to officials, the officers refused to save the man.

www.youtube.com

The situation began when police were called for a possible domestic incident near Tempe Town Lake at the end of May. The officers questioned Sean Bickings and his wife, who both denied any fighting took place.

After speaking with the couple, the officers went to check for warrants for Bickings, who took the opportunity to try and leave.

He said:

“I’m going to go for a swim. I’m free to go, right?”

An officer told Bickings that while he wasn’t being detained, he wasn’t allowed to swim in the lake. Bickings climbed over the 4 foot fence and got into the lake.

Two minutes later, he was calling for help.

The video shows Bickings begging for his life.

“I’m going to drown. I’m going to drown.”

The officers refused to jump in after Bickings.

In the footage, as Bickings called for help, his wife is begging the officers to save him.

She says:

“He’s everything I got. I can’t lose him, he’s going to die.”

As the officers refused to rescue Bickings, her pleas became more intense.

“I’m just distraught because he’s drowning right in front of you and you won’t help him.”
“I’m so tired of not being heard all the time. This very upsetting. I can’t even finish a sentence.”
“He’s f**king a good man.”

The bodycam footage is edited to cut off before showing Bickings death out of respect for his family. Arizona’s Department of Public Safety and Scottsdale Police Department are investigating the response from the officers.

In the meantime, the officers involved have been placed on non-disciplinary paid administrative leave.

The Tempe Officers Association, the police union, defended the actions of the officers saying they weren’t trained in water rescue.

“Attempting such a high-risk rescue could easily result in the death of the person in the water and the officer, who could be pulled down by a struggling adult.”

Additionally, it’s been argued the officers’ gear would prevent their ability to swim.

These excuses didn’t sit well with the public.

The police union assured it will work with the police department for additional training to try and prevent situations like this from happening again.

More from Trending

Vivian Wilson
@vivllainous/Instagram

Elon Musk's Trans Daughter Just Made Her Drag Debut At An Anti-ICE Fundraiser—And Fans Are Obsessed

Elon Musk's disowned trans daughter Vivian Jenna Wilson has made a name for herself online for mercilessly dragging the father who once said she was "dead" to him because she was "killed by the woke mind virus."

But recently she took it to a new level, leveraging her fame in her first drag performance at a Los Angeles anti-ICE fundraiser.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

Trump Administration Fast-Tracks Eliminating National Suicide Hotline's LGBTQ+ Youth Support

On Wednesday morning, news broke that the administration of MAGA Republican President Donald Trump was eliminating certain suicide and self harm resources provided through the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

The lifeline offered callers options to speak to people who specialize in meeting their needs. But the Trump administration decided this was a service that LGBTQ+ young people don't deserve.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Trump Blasted For Announcing New Additions To The White House Lawn As Global Tensions Escalate

President Donald Trump was criticized after announcing that two new flagpoles would be added to the North and South Lawns of the White House—not the greatest look amid heightened global unease as tensions between Israel and Iran ramp up.

According to the Associated Press, Trump watched as a crane installed the newest flagpole on the South Lawn, remarking, “It’s such a beautiful pole.” He later returned to the site to salute as the American flag was raised for the first time.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of Donald Trump from CNN supercut
CNN

Trump Mocked For 'Two Weeks' Iran Deadline With Supercut Of All His 'Two Weeks' Promises

President Donald Trump has a history of promising to resolve problems within "two weeks," and a new viral supercut mocks him for all the times he's said as much—including right now with tensions in the Middle East higher than ever.

Trump said Thursday he will decide within two weeks whether to involve U.S. forces directly in the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, citing what he called a “substantial chance” for renewed nuclear negotiations with Tehran.

Keep ReadingShow less
red flag with pole on seashore
Seoyeon Choi on Unsplash

People Break Down The 'Silent Red Flags' Folks Tend To Ignore In Relationships

A red flag has come to mean any warning sign in life, in addition to the literal red flags that are placed on beaches or industrial sites to warn people of danger.

People will respond to situations by saying, "That’s a red flag." But before that language evolved, they'd just call them "warning signs."

Keep ReadingShow less