U.S. soldier sentenced in accidental shooting
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The U.S. military sentenced a soldier to three years in a military jail Saturday for the accidental shooting death of a fellow soldier serving in Iraq.
"Sergeant Miguel A. Vegaquinones was sentenced to three years confinement, reduction in rank to private ... and a dishonorable discharge," the U.S. military said in a statement.
Vegaquinones pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter after the January 11 incident in which he shot another soldier, Sean McCune, in Samarra, north of Baghdad. The military said Vegaquinones "negligently" fired a round at McCune.
According to the terms of a pre-trial plea arrangement, Vegaquinones will serve only up to 30 months, said military spokesman Major Derrick Cheng.
He said the sentence would automatically be appealed.
(Editing by Sophie Hares)
© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved
Interview:
Obama warns of China strains
"If we don't solve some of these problems, then I think both economically and politically it will put enormous strains on the relationship," the president tells Reuters. Full Article | Full Coverage
DC sniper to be executed
