On Wednesday, June 14th, a spokesperson for the FDNY confirmed to media outlets that a body had been discovered in Cadman Plaza Park. According to authorities, the deceased victim was discovered in a park near an intersection in Downtown Brooklyn. Authorities were alerted about the situation when a witness called the police at around 10:45 A.M.

After a brief investigation, police determined that the person likely suffered a cardiac arrest. No further information has been released about the victim yet other than that he was a male.

Cardiac Arrest and Accidental Death

It remains unclear what prompted the cardiac event in the victim. Heart attacks can occur for a variety of reasons, many of which are completely natural. There are situations, though, that can lead to an untimely death when a person experiences a heart attack during the commission of a crime.

For instance, if someone approached an unsuspecting victim with a gun, then the natural response of the victim would be to panic or freeze in fear. If that person has existing heart issues, then there’s a great chance that a heart attack could result from the situation.

According to research published by the U.S. Department of Justice, a cardiac death can occur when someone experiences severe emotional distress. If that occurs, then it is possible (but not very common) for the perpetrator of the crime to get charged with homicide ().

The intentions of the culprit do not matter if a fatality occurred as a result of their actions. With that being said, it is possible for someone to get charged with criminal homicide if their behavior causes someone else to experience a heart attack.

How to Defend Yourself When You Were Involved in a Fatality

Facing homicide charges is an extremely serious situation, so your best option is to hire a lawyer if you think you could face such significant criminal charges in Brooklyn. When you are involved in a crime that turns fatal, it’s never wise to attempt to defend yourself or simply plead guilty to the charges against you out of guilt.

Often, a lawyer can work with you, the prosecutor, and the judge to determine the best course of action. If your actions resulted in an unintentional death, then it might be possible to have those charges reduced. Getting charged with robbery, for instance, instead of homicide, makes a huge difference in not only your criminal penalties but also in your future. Having a criminal record associated with robbery will be a lot easier to cope with than a murder charge, which is likely to have serious life-long repercussions.

A good lawyer can also help inform you about other potential legal defenses you can use, too, depending on the circumstances and facts surrounding your charges.

If you’re in Brooklyn or a surrounding area and you’ve recently been charged with a crime, then we can help. Schedule an anonymous case review with our firm now to discuss your potential charges in more detail with one of our best attorneys.