A lot is being said in the New York press about the fact that both the Giants and the hospital where he was treated knew about the Burress shooting but didn’t inform the NYPD of it.
The doctor who treated the wound is required by state law to report a gunshot wound to the NYPD. So, the fact that she’s taking heat for failing to do so is understandable.
However, I don’t understand why everyone is blaming the Giants for being quiet. The Giants are Plaxico’s employer… nothing more. The shooting didn’t occur when Burress was working, it didn’t happen in the office (or on the field, in the training room, etc.). It happened on his own time outside the place of business.
To my knowledge, an employer is not a mandated reporter. If (just to use a silly example) I married two women and my employer found out about it, they’re not required to report me to the authorities (provided I didn’t try to claim job benefits for both wives, etc.). They’d be within their rights to terminate my employment, but they’re not responsible to report me to the NYPD for that.
It is possible that the Giants (or Giants employees) conspired in a coverup. It’s one thing to say you’re not a mandated reporter, it’s quite another to try and hide a crime. In addition to the coverup angle, we also have the “good corporate citizen” angle, and notifying the police when you learn a crime was committed is part of that.
Antonio Pierce is also taking some heat, and I think we’ll find out more about his specific role in the weeks/months to come. I don’t necessarily think we can really expect a private citizen to run straight to the police at 4am when his friend/coworker gets hurt.
The speculation in the press has been that certain persons in the employ of the Giants, as well as Plax’s own entourage, participated in the coverup and the pressuring of the doctor and hospital to keep quiet. That would make them co-conspirators in a crime.
Not all crimes are equal, either. If your employer found out you killed one of your wives they would indeed be obligated to report that. Where in the spectrum shooting yourself with an illegal handgun falls, I don’t know.
Really? What specific statute would be violated if your employer didn’t say anything? And why is that statute specifically applicable to not reporting the crime of (murder and/or manslaughter) but not to failing to report the crime of (I assume) illegal possession/discharge of a handgun? Again, we’re assuming the hypothetical employer is not actively helping to cover up the crime, nor are they failing to cooperate with authorities when requested; they’re just not proactively reporting the employee’s potential crime.