US DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE INVESTIGATING FATAL BERKELEY BALCONY COLLAPSE
The Alameda County District Attorney’s office has launched a formal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the balcony collapse in Berkeley that killed six Irish students and injured seven others.
Earlier this week, the City of Berkeley said they were not investigating criminal negligence through the police department, but were just looking into what caused the balcony to give way.
It comes as the funeral for the last victim of the tragedy takes place today – Lorcán Millar will be laid to rest this morning.
Reporter with the San Francisco Chronicle, Henry Lee, says Berkeley police have done a U-turn and say they’ll be cooperating with the DA in the investigation:
“The City of Berkeley has said ‘we are not, through the police department, investigating a crime at this point – we’re just looking into the cause without looking into potential criminal liability'” he said.
“That led the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office to take the lead and say ‘we will handle the probe’ – and today, in an about face, the City of Berkeley police said after all we will be looking into this with Alameda County District Attorney prosecutors as the lead” he added.
