A police officer’s lie, a Seattle man’s suicide. Tragic story. (insurance)

[homesinseattle]

Perhaps something to learn here for all of us. Honestly matters, our actions affect others and for some people, depression is very real.

“About a month after Porter Feller took his own life, his mother received a letter sent to him from an insurance company.

State Farm wanted insurance information from Feller regarding a car crash he was involved in on May 29, 2018, in Seattle. Renée Thomas called the company to tell them her son had died less than a week after the collision.

What she learned during that call changed everything.

She would eventually discover that in the days before her 40-year-old son’s suicide, a Seattle police officer searching for him as a hit-and-run suspect falsely claimed Feller had potentially killed a woman.

The officer thought the ruse would help find Feller. But the fateful chain of events ended in tragic circumstances.

It would take another 18 months for details to emerge. Ultimately, the Seattle Police Department (SPD) would retrain its officers and the Medical Examiner would change its ruling on the manner of Feller’s death.

Even then, the human toll on those who knew and loved Feller remained hidden. They continue to be devastated by his death and the realization that they were unwittingly pulled into the officer’s lie.

Story link here: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle...box=1582467961

[travis t]

Sounds like a variation of a 'sting operation,' i.e. a form of ruse. I have always had big problems with this. I wouldn't say dump all sting operations, but they need to be very carefully designed and controlled to prevent the entrapment of the innocent.

Once police start using deception they can sometimes orchestrate things to get whatever result they wish. And things can also go off the rails, as it appears they did for Mr. Feller and this cop.

[pnwguy2]

I read this article in The Times, and it is indeed tragic. I think police need to re-think their gameplans with these type of situations. A blunt reminder that fairness is more important than getting a crime solved via deception.