Marysville officer sobs as trial begins for manslaughter

A prosecutor told a jury Thursday that a Marysville police officer should have expected tragedy when he left a handgun in the family van with his young children.

In her opening statement, the prosecutor said officer Derek Carlile, 31, took the time to turn on child safety locks in the family van when he got out, but left his off-duty handgun in a cupholder between the front seats.

Carlile’s 3-year-old son shot his 7-year-old sister, “as you would reasonably expect,” said deputy Snohomish County Prosecutor Lisa Paul. The girl later died.

The Seattle Times reports that Carlile sobbed as the prosecutor outlined the manslaughter case against him. Carlile remains on paid leave from the Marysville Police Department.

The defense told jurors Carlile was obsessed with gun safety and carried his own weapon during off-duty hours to protect the public. David Allen said Carlile accepts responsibility for what he terms a “terrible accident,” not a crime.