Listen Live
97.9 The Box Featured Video
CLOSE
Caution Tape Pool

Source: Tom Hahn / Getty

Following the news that three Florida teens drowned after driving a stolen vehicle into a pond, the victim’s families have begun questioning whether or not the police stood idly by instead of attempting a rescue mission.

We previously reported that Dominique Battle, 16, Ashaunti Butler, 15, and Laniya Miller, 15, had stolen their friend’s Honda Accord and gone for a joy ride on the evening of March 30th. Reportedly, it’s against county sheriff’s rules for officers to chase stolen vehicles, but a police cruiser was tailing the car when it made a sharp turn and plunged into the 15 foot pond.

According to the Miami Herald, the officers attempted to wade into the water to save the teens, before the darkness and thick swampy mud halted their path. 

The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office also released dash cam footage from the incident via Facebook in efforts to downplay the accusations that the officers allowed the teens to drown. 

“The sheriff stated at the time that deputies removed their gunbelts and clothes and tried to enter the water to rescue the girls, but the conditions in the water prevented them from doing so. This is exactly what happened, and we stand by that.”

But both videos seem to show a lack of effort by the officers. Neither video includes audio of a call for back up however, according to reports, 15 officers responded.

Pinellas Sheriff Bob Gualtieri wants the family of the victims to stop spreading a “false narrative” regarding the officers disinterest in saving the teens.

“I have sympathy for their families,” Gualtieri said. “They lost three young girls… But that doesn’t mean they or their lawyers have a right to disparage the deputies who were trying to rescue three kids.”

RELATED STORIES:

Three Teenagers Dead After Drowning In An Allegedly Stolen Car

Mom Calls 911 About Drowning Kids, Then Realizes They’re Hers [VIDEO]

Dashcam Video Suggests Cops Did Not Attempt To Rescue Drowning Teens  was originally published on hellobeautiful.com