All the while, fraternity brothers did little to help him. [2][4][5] He texted the group "Tim Piazza might actually be a problem. At 9:21 p.m. Feb. 2, the fraternity's video surveillance system captured Piazza wearing khakis, a button-down shirt and a sports jacket, the required uniform for pledges to Beta Theta Pi. Four fraternity brothers carried his limp body back upstairs, where some poured liquid on him, and another slapped him three times in the face, the grand jury said. Prosecutors played chilling video of that night, but not before Piazzas parents walked out of court. Piazza is limp and has a visible bruise on his abdomen. The brothers put Piazza on a couch but did not stabilize his head and neck, the video appears to show, and the 19-year-old fell off the couch. Forty-two minutes after finding Piazza in the basement and first realizing he was cold and stiff, a fraternity member called 911 and other fraternity members cleaned up "evidence of beer and alcohol," the detective said. According to the report, Piazza is limp, his eyes are closed and he appears unconscious. [2][4][5][1] However, this did not deter members from conducting illegal binge drinking hazing rituals onto the fraternity's new and underage pledges during recruitment, often ending in serious consequences. Jim Piazza pauses as he addresses the media during a press conference explaining their role and feelings of new Timothy J. Piazza Antihazing legislation during the second Penn State Beta Theta Pi preliminary hearing at the Centre County Courthouse on Friday, March 23, 2018. At one point, some of the members sat on his legs, the detective said, and Piazza was moving around, trying to twist and turn. Ryan Foster and Edward Gilmartin, who were not present, were charged with tampering with evidence. He looked like a corpse, he said. BELLEFONTE, Pa. A security video showing the final hours of a Penn State University students life was at the center of a court hearing on Monday, as the victims grieving parents left before the footage began to play. "This was an extraordinarily difficult day for the Piazza family," he said. [2][4] The reason he was taken to a private clinic was to avoid the University Health Services becoming suspicious and potentially detecting hazing. [2][4][5][1] It should be noted that he along with 11 others were under the minimum drinking age of 21. At the start of Monday's hearing, an attorney for one of the accused stood up to argue that the court appearances should be severed, meaning that they should happen separately so the judge could rule on the individual merits of each case. Within 90 minutes of starting the gauntlet, the video shows Piazza stumbling through the kitchen toward the basement steps. Another captures Piazza on his phone as he rolls around. [4][14] By May 2017, 1,098 charges were filed. This page was last edited on 18 January 2023, at 18:41. The Beta Theta Pi fraternity -- which has since been barred from Penn State -- is facing charges including involuntary manslaughter and hazing. The unfortunate truth is that many of our own children could be in this situation and make similar decisions. Earlier this month, Penn State announced proposals for new safety reforms, including: university staff members monitoring social events; the university taking control of the fraternity and sorority misconduct and adjudication process; and permanent revocation of university recognition for any chapter involved in "hazing that involves alcohol, physical abuse, or any behavior that puts a students mental or physical health at risk. Your contribution will help the Collegian provide award winning journalism to the Penn State community and beyond. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Eighteen students are facing charges in connection with Timothy Piazza's death. While the state laws that the Piazzas advocate for deal with the crime of hazing, federal laws they promote deal with accountability and transparency. But the challenge for all of us is to admit that we live in the same culture as Beta Theta Pi, and few of us know how to act in the one moment when it makes a difference. "[The chapter adviser] obviously was involved in having knowledge of the social agenda, what was going on at various times, Ambrose said. You would have thought today that it was a fraternity reunion. Defense lawyer William Brennan, who represents Joseph Ems, said the video absolved his client. The Piazza family is planning on filing a lawsuit against the fraternity members and the university. ", Penn State's Interfraternity Council said, "We agree that added social restrictions, education, transparency and professional staff support are critical. Centre County prosecutors claim the video shows the students failed to help Piazza after a night of heavy drinking, causing his death the next day. This was an alcohol poisoning, followed by callous, reckless, inhumane behavior, Kline said. "An analysis of a fraternity brother's cellphone found that during that time he searched the phrases "falling asleep after head injury," "cold extremities in drunk person" and "binge drinking, alcohol, bruising or discoloration, cold feet and cold hands. The death of Timothy Piazza, an engineering student and Beta Theta Pi fraternity pledge, put Penn State on the frontline of an ongoing national battle: how to control fraternities and sororities. Attorneys for 11 fraternity members were back in court for a hearing in the death of a pledge. When a fraternity brother insisted Piazza needed medical help, he was confronted and shoved into a wall, the report said. He looked like a corpse, Scicchitano said. Ems lawyer claims the video shows him reaching for him but not punching him. Timothy Piazza, a 19-year-old sophomore from New Jersey, grabbed the bottle and turned it upside down, taking a long swig. Students are only able to rush after earning 14 credit hours at Penn State or 27 transfer credits, meaning most first-semester freshmen are barred from rushing. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); We rely on the holidays to reconnect with the people who are most important to us and now we cant in ways that feel right. ", Barron added, "I am resolved to turn the pain and anguish radiating through our entire community into decisive action and reform, concentrating on the safety and well-being of students at Penn State. About 40 minutes later, a 911 call is finally made, Scicchitano testified. After the pledge left the room and Piazza was alone, Piazza went to the basement. One time, when Piazza rolled off a couch, three fraternity brothers picked him up and "slammed him" back on the couch, according to the grand jury report. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. IE 11 is not supported. "It was most difficult to hear the gruesome, horrific details of their son's death spelled out by a detective who investigated this horrible matter.". [16], Ultimately, after more than 1,098 charges were filed, many would later be dropped. (Bridgewater, N.J.) Courier News and (East Brunswick, N.J.) Home News Tribune. The report also said that doctors concluded Piazza suffered from "multiple traumatic brain injuries," including a fractured skull and a lacerated spleen, which resulted in 80 percent of his blood supply in his abdominal cavity. Through speaking to students, Jim said he hopes to educate students on what hazing is and the consequences of it. Having anxiety meltdowns and temper tantrums in front of your kids during covid-19? The act would also require universities to report instances of hazing under the Clery Act. Timothy Piazza, 19, died following a Feb. 2 pledge event at the Beta Theta Pi frat house after falling down basement steps during a night of heavy drinking, authorities have said. 5th May 2017 report listing the charges of those involved and findings of fact concerning the case. An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Piazza died in the hospital on Feb. 4. [2][4][1] Daniel Casey and Joseph Ems, the latter frustrated with Piazza, responded by slapping the stricken student, the latter allegedly contributing towards Piazza's spleen becoming "shattered". His fall was not captured on surveillance cameras, but . More than two hours later the video shows a group of men carrying him back to the couch around 9:30 a.m. His body is rigid as the men stand around, some with their hands on their hips. Showing someone elses vulnerability and potential embarrassment has become normalized behavior for amusement and increasing ones social status. "It's a tragic situation, but just because somebody is deceased and it's sad doesn't mean that everyone who was even in any room at any time should be held criminally accountable, Cipparone said. [2][4] After becoming severely intoxicated, Davis fell and suffered a gash to his forehead. Authorities claim that despite Piazzas injuries, it took 12 hours before a member of the fraternity called 911. [1][2] However, while Beta Theta Pi was deemed to contain some of the brightest students within the Greek system, this fraternity had a controversial history prior to Piazza's pledge, primarily concerning vandalism, hazing, and excessive alcohol consumption. Another member named Qobi Qcianoo took a Snapchat video of Tim laying on the floor, and then left the house. A slew of fraternity members are accused of failing to render appropriate aid to Piazza, and some are alleged to have physically assaulted him while trying to wake him. NBCs Gabe Gutierrez reports for TODAY. Subscribe to TODAY: http://on.today.com/SubscribeToTODAY Watch the latest from TODAY: http://bit.ly/LatestTODAYAbout: TODAY brings you the latest headlines and expert tips on money, health and parenting. He fell onto a stone floor at 5 a.m. Fifteen minutes later, a fraternity member went downstairs for a drink of water. They put him on a couch, put a blanket over him and stood around and talked for a while, Scicchitano said. He was subsequently found at the bottom of the steps after apparently falling face-first. At another point, one fraternity brother tackled another, landing on top of Piazza. Beta Theta Pi fraternity house at Penn State. But these teens also said they took pictures and videos like this to show people that they were cool enough to be at the party; the picture increased or reinforced their social status. A detective said in court that at that point Piazza had "totally lost color.". [2][4][5][1] Fraternity brothers carried him back to the couch. "Piazza was pronounced dead at 1:20 a.m. Feb. 4 in the surgical Intensive Care Unit of Hershey Medical Center. She also writes about immigration. "This attempt to blame somebody who had no hand in what happened is just proof of how some of these defendants are going to go to try and exonerate themselves," she said. [2][4][5][1] They performed a series of tests to determine the engineering student's status. Timothy Piazza, who grew up in Readington Township in Hunterdon County, died on Feb. 4, 2017, in a hospital after falling at a Penn State fraternity house on Feb. 2. He tries to get on his feet and falls back on the floor. The impact of Piazzas death spanned further than changes in university policy. [2][4][5][1] Members Luke Visser and Greg Rizzo were the first on the scene, Rizzo immediately realising the severity of the situation. He was in the house. On their lawyers advice, the couple left for the hourslong viewing of the video. [17][15][2] This included all involuntary manslaughter and aggravated assault charges, resulting in about 14 members now being charged with a total of 328 counts by November 2017. Discovery Company. Piazza was pronounced dead at the Hershey Medical Center the morning of Feb. 4, 2017. The surveillance video shows Piazza chugging from a bottle of liquor early in the night and chugging a beer at another point. The Associated Press contributed to this article. Additionally, a student filmed Piazza in his compromised state before uploading it to Snapchat. But that doesn't mean there's any intent involved in any of this.". For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Success! Prosecutors claim the fraternity brothers waited to get Piazza help in an attempt to cover up their drinking and "coordinate a story. We stand firm on our belief that when students are involved in collaborating with the university in monitoring and accountability, a greater impact is made. In total, around 13 hours of Piazza's final moments were recorded. said as the video played. The Piazzas, among many others, hope to change that. "The Piazza familys ultimate goal is to make sure that this never happens again," Kline added. [18][19][20] Therefore, it was considered remarkable when Michael Bonatucci, Luke Visser, and Joshua Kurczewski, were all given jail time upon agreeing a plea deal which saw them found guilty of hazing in exchange for dropping more serious counts. And they agonized over this decision," Kline said. The video shows at least three people come upon him. Would anyone who was there that night define their behavior as malicious? As the evening wears on the video jumps to Piazza lying in a fetal position on the ground, rolling around. Privacy Policy. There is no one who could see that whose heart wouldnt cry and whose eyes wouldnt shed tears.". As he continued to groan, Piazza got to his knees and placed his head in his hands as if, in the pledge's words, he had "a really bad headache.". "But they decided that in the end this was not something that they should do. [19][20] Only five defendants, including Young, were still facing charges. She is a senior studying digital and print journalism with a minor in political science. But Piazza felldown three steps and the fraternity brother steppedover him and lefthim there.Anotherpledgetestified before the grand jury that he woke up at about 7 a.m. and saw Piazza on a couch. As a pledge of the fraternity, Piazza was put through the gauntlet, in which he moved from station to station drinking alcohol. He fell onto a stone floor at 5 a.m. Fifteen minutes later, a fraternity member wentdownstairs for a drink of water. The hearing was prolonged by arguments from defense lawyers on a range of issues, including a motion to sever the cases, which was denied. "This is not somebody who's got a gaping head wound that's gushing blood. His chest was bare, his breathing heavy and he had blood on his face. He felt cold to the touch, his skin was pale and his eyes were half-open, according to the grand jury report. Related: Penn State Pledge Was Treated Like 'Road Kill': Grieving Family, "I don't wanna see it as a parent, because I feel like it's gonna be incredibly painful," Jim Piazza said. STATE COLLEGE, Pa. Through grand jury testimony, police questioning and a review of Beta Theta Pi's complex video surveillance system, authorities have put together a harrowing narrative of the last hours of TimothyPiazza's life, from whenhe beganthe hazing ritual at the Penn State University fraternity,his fall down 15 feet of basement stairs to the 911 call for help the followingmorning and the desperate attempts by doctors to save his life. Gabe Gutierrez is an NBC News correspondent based in New York. The video shows Piazza staggering through the house the night of February 2 before disappearing near basement stairs where police say he fell 15 steps and lost consciousness. When the same brother insisted again that Piazza required help, he was told others were biology and kinesiology majors so his opinion wasnt as valuable as theirs, the jury said. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. First Centre County Investigating Grand Jury report concerning the case. Those eight and another 10 fraternity members were charged with counts including hazing, reckless endangerment, tampering with evidence, and alcohol-related offenses. At one point, the detective testified the video appears to show one fraternity brother grabbing Piazza's shoes and throwing them at him. Toward the end of the hearing, defense lawyer Andy Shubin stood up during a break and said it was cruel and unusual punishment to make the attorneys stay in court for so long. 'S final moments were recorded gauntlet, in which he moved from station to station drinking.. Member went downstairs for a drink of water get on his face is somebody. 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