Pendleton Marine draws year in jail

[thedrifter]

Pendleton Marine draws year in jail

SIGNONSANDIEGO NEWS SERVICES
4:36 p.m., August 1, 2003

CAMP PENDLETON – A Marine who mistakenly used live ammunition during training and killed another leatherneck was sentenced today to a year in jail for negligent homicide.

Sgt. Cody Ottley entered a guilty plea yesterday as part of an agreement with base prosecutors, who dropped charges of involuntary manslaughter and dereliction of duty.

Ottley could have been jailed for three years, said Staff Sgt. Bill Lisbon of Camp Pendleton.

The judge, Col. Robert Chester, ordered that the defendant be given a bad conduct discharge, a reduction of his payroll grade and a forfeiture of pay while in confinement.

An elite Force Reconnaissance Marine, Ottley had live ammunition instead of blanks in his M-4 carbine when he fired at Pfc. Jeremy Purcell, 19, during an urban-combat exercise at Camp Pendleton on Aug. 28, 2002.

Purcell was hit four times at close range and died within minutes.

Ottley testified that he had several ammunition magazines stored with his gear during a military exercise.

In a hurry to get moving, he said, he grabbed two magazines that he thought were filled with blanks, looked at them briefly in the twilight and stuffed them in his pocket.

A Marine Corps investigation into the incident found systemic problems with the way ammunition was handled in base exercises. Changes were made last year, including a prohibition on working with live and blank ammunition on the same day.

Ottley's team leader, Staff Sgt. Chad Chalkey, originally was charged with criminal dereliction of duty for not ensuring that his subordinate used the correct ammunition.

But in the end, he received a nonjudicial punishment and remains in the Marines, his family told The San Diego Union-Tribune.

Two others named in the investigation, Ottley's platoon commander and the platoon sergeant, were reassigned but never charged.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/m...rine-jail.html


Sempers,

Roger

[Devildogg4ever]

Am I missing something here? Maybe it's me, but when do you have live rounds issued for that type of training?

Even then, why would you have live rounds in your possesion if they are not required?

Above everything else, if you have live rounds and blanks in the same area, would you not take the time to make sure you have the type that you need?

Accident or not, they should have nailed him with everything they could! Regardless of the excuses, it does not bring, Pfc. Jeremy Purcell back, does it?

[top1371]

I believe that they had fired live fire at a different range earlier that day. The problem was that they didnt get properly cleard and have all ammo accounted for.

I think the Sergeant was an idiot, but a BCD? From what I gathered, it was a mistake. A dumb one, that cost a life, but a BCD?

Semper Fi,

Top

[Bulkyker]

Ok resurrecting a 4 year old thread.

Blanks do not work without a BFA. Live rounds do not work with one attatched. The idiot shot and killed another Marine and got a year in the brig?

[zx6rdr]

very true Bulk...

The PFC got shot 4 times.... would not the BFA cause a stoppage?

Possibly it wouldnt have...

???????

PS: Is it true that a live round wont fire with a BFA???? I believe that it will, but on the other hand i have never done it....

[Bulkyker]

A blank firing attachment is a large brightly painted bore plug. It is easy to see and blocks all gasses from a blank from passing through the barrel and causes the bolt to cycle when a blank is fired. Firing a live round with a BFA attached would probably destroy the weapon and seriously injure the shooter. Additionally the sound of a blank fired versus the sound of a live round fired is greatly different. Firing 4 live rounds expecting to be firing blanks without figuring out something wasn't right is inexcuseable