Police union defends Arizona officers who watched man drown: ‘A high risk rescue could result in death’

A police union in Arizona has defended its officers’ decision to not save a drowning man in Tempe late last month, claiming that they did not have the resources to conduct the rescue.

Chilling bodycam footage and a transcript of the 28 May incident show an officer telling Sean Bickings “I’m not jumping in after you” moments before he died in the water at Tempe Town Lake. Three police officers allegedly stood by as the man begged them for help before drowning.

Bicking’s remains were recovered from the lake six hours later.

“Attempting such a high-risk rescue could easily result in the death of the person in the water and the officer, who could be pulled down by a struggling adult,” representatives of the Tempe Officers Association said on Monday.

“Officers are trained to call the Fire Department ... or get the Tempe Police boat. That is what officers did here.”

The police union added that officers do not receive training in water rescue and do not have equipment to help people who are drowning.

However, the incident’s “grief mirrors our community’s grief”, the union said, adding: “No one wanted this incident to end as it did.”

Authorities have placed the three officers present on the scene on paid administrative leave after launching an investigation.

“Tempe Police is conducting its death investigation in the case of Sean Bickings first. This could take many weeks due to the need to wait for medical examiner and toxicology results. After the department’s investigation into the death, the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) will review the investigation as well,” the city officials said in a statement.

It added: “The City of Tempe and Tempe Police are examining water response protocols and equipment needs for officers as well as for placement of rescue equipment around bodies of water. More information will be released as soon as it is available.”

The police officers were called to the Elmore Pedestrian Bridge in Tempe on the morning of 28 May over a reported disturbance between a couple.

On reaching the spot, the police were told that no physical altercation had erupted. The officers then told the couple that they were running their names through a database to check for any outstanding warrants for their arrests.

At that point, Mr Bickings is seen in the bodycam footage telling police he is going “for a swim”.

“I’m gonna go for a swim. I’m free to go right?” Bickings is heard saying.

“You’re not allowed to swim in the lake,” one of the officers told him but Bickings jumped into the water below the bridge and started to swim away.

But the police officials made no movement to get Bickings out of the water and discussed “how far” he will manage to swim away.

The bodycam was only released in part by city officials with footage withheld of the specific moment that Bickings drowned. Officials said that the remaining footage was “sensitive” and so a partial written transcript of the bodycam was released instead.

In the transcript, police said the 34-year-old begged officers to “help me” and repeatedly said that he was “going to drown”.

One of the officers then asked him: “So what’s your plan right now?”

“I’m going to drown,” he shot back, but the same officer dismissed his concerns, saying “no, you’re not”.

Another officer asked him to “at least go to the pylon and hold on”.

“I’m drowning,” Bickings told the police but the officers again tell him to “come back over to the pylon”.

Bickings then said “I can’t. I can’t” and the officer refused to get in the water to help him. “Okay, I’m not jumping in after you,” the officer said.

Both Bickings and his wife begged the police to help them. “Please help me. Please, please, please,” begged Mr Bickings. His wife told the officers “he’s drowning right in front of you and you won’t help”.

It is not clear how long it took before Bickings drowned.