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CNN
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Boeing whistleblower John Barnett died by suicide, in line with a police report launched on Friday, bringing to finish an investigation of the shocking death of a longtime worker who raised considerations in regards to the airplane producer’s security and manufacturing requirements – and who sued the corporate, claiming Boeing illegally retaliated towards him.
Barnett, 62, was discovered lifeless in a car on March 9 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Charleston, South Carolina. Officers had been dispatched to conduct a welfare examine on Barnett at a Vacation Inn when he failed to indicate as much as a deposition in his case towards Boeing, in line with his legal professionals and a police incident report.
Once they arrived, responding officers discovered Barnett lifeless within the driver’s seat of a truck within the car parking zone. He was holding a handgun. The preliminary police report additionally mentioned there was a notice within the truck.
However Barnett’s legal professionals mentioned in an announcement following his loss of life that his deposition was nearing an finish and he gave the impression to be in good spirits.
“We didn’t see any indication he would take his personal life. Nobody can imagine it,” his legal professionals, Robert Turkewitz and Brian Knowles, mentioned in an announcement on March 12. “The Charleston police want to analyze this absolutely and precisely and inform the general public what they discover out.”
The Charleston Police Division on Friday concluded their investigation into Barnett’s loss of life, saying the Charleston County Coroner’s Workplace decided that Barnett had killed himself.
The investigation discovered that Barnett was shot within the head at shut vary and the weapon was present in his proper hand. There was additionally a pocket book discovered within the entrance seat of the automotive that confirmed indicators that “he was going by means of a interval of severe private misery,” in line with a media launch in regards to the police investigation.
Police shared with CNN a picture of a notice left within the automotive, which had a number of disparaging messages directed at Boeing.
“As this investigation involves an in depth, we must always not neglect it represents the lack of Mr. Barnett’s life,” police mentioned, “We lengthen our deepest sympathies to his household throughout this troublesome time and hope they proceed to search out the energy to persevere in absence.”
Boeing couldn’t instantly be reached for remark. In March, the corporate mentioned it was saddened by Barnett’s loss of life.
“Our ideas are along with his household and buddies,” the corporate mentioned.
Barnett, a former high quality supervisor who had labored at Boeing for many years, informed the New York Instances in 2019 that he had discovered unsafe wiring clusters in Boeing’s manufacturing processes that, if severed by close by steel slivers, may have led to the catastrophic failure of an plane.
“As a top quality supervisor at Boeing, you’re the final line of protection earlier than a defect makes it out to the flying public,” Barnett informed the Instances. “And I haven’t seen a aircraft out of Charleston but that I’d put my identify on saying it’s protected and airworthy.”
In an announcement despatched to the plant’s workers and supplied to CNN on the time, Brad Zaback, a web site chief on the plant and common supervisor of the 787 program, mentioned the Instances’ report “paints a skewed and inaccurate image of this system and of our workforce (on the plant).”
Zaback, who mentioned the Instances declined an invite to go to the plant, mentioned “high quality is the bedrock of who we’re,” including that the plant delivers “the very best high quality airplanes.”
Since Barnett’s preliminary public warnings about Boeing, the corporate has had a number of high-profile security and high quality lapses, together with the blowout of a door plug on a 737 Max shortly after takeoff in January. That led the US Justice Division to announce this week that Boeing may face criminal prosecution for its historical past of security issues.