A former team leader of the Yeongheung Patrol Division of the Incheon Maritime Police, known as Officer A, is facing possible arrest in connection with the incident involving Sergeant Lee Jae-seok, who died in the line of duty while rescuing a person trapped in a mudflat. According to the legal community on the 15th, Incheon District Court Judge Yoo A-ram, in charge of warrants, is conducting a pre-arrest inquiry for Officer A on charges such as professional negligence resulting in death, dereliction of duty, and falsification of official documents.
Officer A is accused of failing to adhere to the two-person dispatch rule, which led to Sergeant Lee responding to the emergency alone and subsequently dying. Furthermore, Officer A allegedly gave team members more rest time than allowed by regulations but falsified duty logs to reflect compliance with the standards. It was also noted that Officer A failed to wake other resting team members during the emergency and delayed reporting to higher authorities, indicating inadequate initial response.
Officer A reportedly entered the court through an entrance different from where the press was waiting. The decision regarding Officer A’s arrest is expected to be made by late today.
Additionally, the late Sergeant Lee, who received the report at 2:07 a.m. on the 11th of last month that a person was stranded on the mudflat, went to the scene alone. He gave his life vest to the person in need but was swept away by the tide and went missing. Approximately six hours later, at 9:41 a.m., he was found near Ggotseom, Yeongheung-myeon, Ongjin County, in cardiac arrest and was taken to the hospital, where he was eventually pronounced dead.