Posted on 03/09/2011 10:48:36 AM PST by rawhide
A Decatur man accused of punching a 14-year-old girl in the face for running into his son on the slopes in Colorado has pleaded guilty to third-degree assault.
The Vail Daily reported Tuesday that the plea from 41-year-old Scott Filler, a renowned malaria expert, was for a misdemeanor stemming from the December incident at Beaver Creek Ski Resort.
Police reports say Filler thought the teen was skiing carelessly when she bumped into his 4-year-old son. Eagle County sheriff's deputies say that's when he jumped on the girl and hit her with his fist. The girl said she was swerving to avoid another skier.
District Attorney Mark Hurlbert says Filler was sentenced to anger management classes and restitution, the amount of which would be determined by the girl.
Prosecutors also sought community service, but Hurlbert says the judge fined Filler $500 instead.
Three witnesses told deputies they observed Filler punch girl between two and four times.
The ski instructor who pulled the Decatur man off the girl told deputies Filler punched her "at least four times, using a closed fist," sheriff's Lt. Mike McWilliam told the AJC. Two other witnesses said they observed Filler yell at the girl before landing two or three punches, the sheriff's office spokesman said.
Filler, charged with misdemeanor child abuse, told deputies he thought the girl was skiing carelessly and had seriously injured his son. The boy was not hurt, however, and Filler apologized. The girl was treated for minor injuries at a local medical center.
Her father requested charges be filed against Filler, who was banned for life from Vail's six ski resorts.
(Excerpt) Read more at ajc.com ...
prevous threads when this first happened last December:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2646026/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2646985/posts
Hit my kid and he would need massive reconstructive surgery.
The man should get a minimum of 6 years in prison. That would be for a single punch. Hitting her multiple times is just evil.
Your post with NO HTML:
I do not agree at all with this ruling. This guy needed to spend time quality time in jail for his crime. To be fined $500 and sent to anger-management class, in addition to some restitution, just does not cut it. This guy needs to pay for his crime and, imo, he has not. He is probably laughing is head off as gotten off so easily.
prevous threads when this first happened last December:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2646026/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2646985/posts
I am sure there is a lawsuit pending here, as well. But I agree. He should have spent some time in jail. Grown men ought not to go around punching little girls.
Any damn fool that would take a a four year old where there are hundreds of people sking should be charged with child endangerment, does the bastard still. Have his job. Some places are just not child safe.
Any damn fool that would take a a four year old where there are hundreds of people sking should be charged with child endangerment, does the bastard still. Have his job. Some places are just not child safe.
“Filler’s work as a “disease detective” with the Epidemic Intelligence Service was chronicled in former AJC reporter Maryn McKenna’s book, “Beating Back the Devil.””
So it was a case of mistaken identity.
And the mountain was their personal property, just ask them.
Nonsense. Is there no accountability today? Who’s fault is it if some careless idiot runs into a 4 year old? 4 year olds are very small.
You can’t take rights of self defense away from men.
“Anger management” - what a pathetic thing. The sentence is about right.
2-4 times?? Which is it? It makes a big difference
What if it was a car? Would you blame the parent for beating the crap out of the driver? Skis can be just as hard on a 4 year old as a car, if they hit wrong
Mogul rage?
I wonder if you have kids. Parents have a right to deal with threats to their children. The notion that 14 year-olds have no responsibility for their actions is a great mistake our society seems to make. I'm guessing that this "girl" wasn't charged with reckless endangerment. If it weren't for the father she would have suffered no discomfort whatever.
ML/NJ
Why wasn’t he over on the bunny slopes with his 4 year old boy? Was this a main skiing area? If you take a small child or any child out on the main slopes it can get crowded and hairy including when snow boarders show up. This scientist sounded like a university professor aka liberal.
Yeah go yell at the girl but to jump on her with fists. Not a good thing. He should be banned from all ski resorts.
You are wrong!! The girl bumped into the kid because she was avoiding another skier. Instead of finding the reason his kid was hit, he immediately jumped on the girl and started pounding her. He was dead wrong. There is no excuse for what he did.
I disagree. It sounds about right to me. This wasn't some innocent little girl he punched, but some punk teenager who ran over a four year old! As a father of a toddler, I can tell you that no teenager who recklessly endangers my child is going to get off easy from me.
I agree that she didn't deserve to get punched, and he needs to learn how to control his anger, but she wasn't seriously injured.
The guy deserved a slap on the wrist, and that's what he got.
And reckelessly running over his four year old isn't?
I’m astoundd that he tok a 4 yo out on a busy ski slope? I could see how easy it would be with a quick glace to miss someone so short and think your path was clear.She my hve never even realized the 4 yo was there until she hit him.It’s not like you have time to look 3 or 4 times on skis.
Have you ever been on Skis?
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