Jury convicts former Big Island officer in bicyclist’s death
KAILUA-KONA — A Hawaii jury has convicted a former Big Island police officer in the 2015 death of a bicyclist.
Jody Buddemeyer was found guilty last week of misdemeanor negligent homicide after prosecutors say he struck and killed 63-year-old Jeffrey Surnow.
Authorities say Surnow of West Bloomfield, Michigan, was riding his bike on the Big Island in March 2015 when Buddemeyer’s car hit him from behind.
Prosecutors claimed Buddemeyer concealed evidence and misled investigating officers, but the jury found him not guilty of evidence tampering and false reporting to law enforcement.
The defense had argued that Buddemeyer was fatigued at the time of the crash due to working a double-back shift.
Buddemeyer is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 30. He could be imprisoned up to a year.
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This story has been corrected to indicate that Surnow was from West Bloomfield, Michigan, not West Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
Disgusting slap on the wrist conviction. Sentence for negligently killing someone is “up to” a year?
That’s it? Shameful miscarriage of justice.
Does this killer get to keep his pension too?