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MAs charged in Brunswick suicide go to mast

Court-martial proceedings against two masters-at-arms charged with allowing a sailor in their custody to commit suicide have been halted.

“Both cases were withdrawn last month from courts-martial and directed into captain’s mast by convening authority” Capt. William Fitzgerald, commanding officer Naval Air Station Brunswick, Maine, said NAS Brunswick spokesman John James.

James, citing privacy rules, declined to discuss how Mitchell R. Tafel and David C. Rodriguez, both masters-at-arms first class, were punished, but said the maximum punishment at mast for both men would have been 45 days of restriction, 45 days of extra duty, forfeiture of one-half month’s pay for two months, a rank reduction of one grade, and an oral or written reprimand. If they had gone to court-martial, both men could have faced up to one year in the brig and dismissal from the Navy.

James said both men are now working as MAs at NAS Brunswick.

Tafel and Rodriguez were charged with violating a general order, reckless endangerment and dereliction of duty for failing to properly search and supervise Hospitalman Christopher Purcell after they and four civilian police officers arrived at Purcell’s on-base apartment Jan. 27.

The officers came to the apartment, according to a report released by Brunswick’s civilian police department, because a friend of Purcell’s had called to inform them that he was drunk, had spoken of killing himself and was armed with a privately owned handgun.

The report said Tafel and Rodriguez took charge at the scene. After a brief struggle, Purcell was handcuffed and taken from his apartment, but at some point, one handcuff was removed so he could re-enter the apartment to use his bathroom. The civilian police reportedly raised questions about why Purcell had not been properly searched, and sources said an empty holster was spotted in Purcell’s bedroom.

No officer accompanied Purcell to the bathroom, sources said, despite the fact that he was so drunk he had trouble standing. Instead, an NAS Brunswick corpsman who had responded to the scene went with him. While Purcell used the bathroom, the sources said, the corpsman heard a clicking sound, and shortly after that, Purcell shot himself in the chest with a .357 revolver.

After attempts to revive him failed, Purcell was pronounced dead at the scene.

On July 22, Rodriguez pleaded not guilty to violating a general order and reckless endangerment, but guilty to dereliction of duty, according to Navy spokesman Chris Zendan. But military judge Capt. Bruce MacKenzie rejected Rodriguez’s guilty plea due to questions about whether Rodriguez actually believed he had committed that crime. Both men had been scheduled to be court-martialed Friday at Naval Submarine Base New London, Conn.

Purcell, 20, of Northbrook, Ill., enlisted in 2005 and worked at NAS Brunswick Branch Medical Clinic.