Deceased Ranger, Derek Boogaard's Brother Arrested for Narcotics Possession
Aaron Boogaard, brother of deceased New York Rangers defenseman Derek Boogaard, was arrested for possession of narcotics earlier this week. Derek Boogaard died in his Minnesota apartment in May due to a mix of alcohol and drugs, and prosecutors claim Aaron gave him a narcotic painkiller the day before. Boogaard has since been charged with felony sale of a controlled dangerous substance and misdemeanor interference with the scene of a death.
Although knowing that he may have given his brother the drug that ultimately killed him must be devastating, nobody but Aaron really knows the actual circumstances. It has been reported that Derek had an addiction, and Aaron was administering the intake. However, Aaron has not been charged in connection with the death, and is not expected to face any jail time. Although prosecutors considered charging Aaron with manslaughter, it would have been an extremely tough case. Derek had many substances in his system, all of which could have killed him - not necessarily the narcotic provided by Aaron. Additionally, a conviction of involuntary manslaughter requires reckless behavior or gross negligence amounting to depraved indifference of human life, and that would be difficult to prove under these circumstances.
My name is Christopher Fusco. I am the managing partner of Callahan & Fusco, LLC with offices in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.