Military officials on Tuesday dropped criminal charges against a soldier accused of forcing an Iraqi civilian to jump to his death from a bridge over the Tigris River.
Sgt. Reggie Martinez, 24, was initially charged with involuntary manslaughter in the Jan. 3 drowning death of 19-year-old Zaidoun Hassoun near Samarra.
Martinez received a “nonjudicial judgment” in the case, meaning he will not face criminal proceedings or jail time.
A similar judgment was given to another soldier, Spc. Terry Bowman, 21, who was accused of assault for allegedly forcing a second man into the river. That man survived.
Details of the judgments were not disclosed, Army officials said.
Involuntary manslaughter charges are still pending against a third enlisted soldier, 1st Sgt. Tracy Perkins, 33.
The three men from Fort Carson’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team admitted forcing two Iraqi curfew-breakers to jump in the river, though they said both men made it safely to shore.
Also Tuesday, their commanding officer waived his right to a hearing to determine whether he will be court-martialed.
First Lt. Jack Saville was charged with involuntary manslaughter and attempting to cover up a death. He also faces an aggravated assault charge from a separate incident in December.
Saville’s attorney did not return calls seeking comment.
Defense attorneys have disputed the circumstances of Hassoun’s death after he and his cousin were picked up for being out after curfew. They said investigators bungled the case by not exhuming the body and doing an autopsy.
Investigators acknowledged they never saw the body, saying they relied on the word of relatives and a video made by Zaidoun’s family that shows a corpse in a coffin.
