Man falls asleep on baby after all-night gaming session - suffocates her to death

"Emanuel Lawerence, 30, from Miami, accidentally suffocated his 7-month-old daughter to death, according to police reports. He had allegedly stayed up all night playing his Xbox 360, and then fell asleep next to his daughter, accidentally rolling on top of her and suffocating her.

Police say Lawrence acted irresponsibly by having stayed up all night playing videogames and smoking weed."

-AATG

[Lemon Jelly]

them damn Vidya GAMES!!1!11! always killing people.

[FishCake9T4]

Dude this isnt funny.

[Darkstorn]

This guy is obviously an awful parent, but everyone knows you should take regular breaks when gaming for more than two hours.

[Bungie]

it's not funny

but it's new

[Winter47th]

Let's see how FOX's gonna spin this one.

[LeonSKennedy4Life]

Shut up.

ABC, NBC, CNN, and CBS hate video games just as much as FOX.

[SuperStrokey1123]

Not funny man, a baby is dead. I understand what you are trying to say but there are times when you just need to be respectful.

[DERKADER]

What if he was up all night doing his taxes then fell asleep on his baby?

Would taxes become the bad guy?

It's never a humans fault. Those inanimate objects always get away with murder.

[UnwanteDreamz]

He suffocated his kid cause he was careless.

"Police say Lawrence acted irresponsibly by having stayed up all night playing videogames and smoking weed."

See I disagree with that. The man acted irresponsibly by getting high and sleeping next to his 7 month old when the kid should have been sleeping in a crib.

[Noctis Aftermath]

@derkader: Truer words have never been spoken.

[killax3563]

from http://www.judiciary.state....

A person is guilty of aggravated manslaughter if (he/she) recklessly causes the death of another person under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to human life.
In order for you to find the defendant guilty of aggravated manslaughter, the State is required to prove each of the following elements beyond a reasonable doubt:
(1) that the defendant caused (insert victim's name) death, and
(2) that the defendant did so recklessly, and
(3) that the defendant did so under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to human life.

The prosecutor will have trouble showing #2 and especially #3.

I know the website is about law in NJ and this happened in FL but as far as aggravated manslaughter goes, its pretty similar throughout the US.

[Synex]

Wouldn't #2 to be that he recklessly went to sleep next to a baby?

[BadTaste]

America.

[Imtey]

If the guy had just played the PS3 instead, none of this would have happened!

Seriously though, blame it on his stupidity and the weed, not the damn game.

[leila01]

Forget the WEED part, the fact that he's an irresponsible idiot and blame it on the video games.

Poor child though, may her soul rest in heaven.

[sorceror171]

This happens more than anyone would like, and not because of games or pot. Just heard a couple days ago about a woman who slept in bed with her infant, rolled over in her sleep, and suffocated the baby. Sleeping in the same bed with children has risks.

Of course, putting a baby in a crib has different risks - it seems if babies roll over or otherwise get tangled and block off their air, they tend to stay asleep and die instead of waking and moving like more developed children, and adults. (SIDS and all.)

That being said... taking anything intoxicating while you're responsible for a small child is highly irresponsible. Doing it when you're probably sleep-deprived anyway (the child was still waking up in the night to be fed) is just stupid. Adding to the sleep deprivation voluntarily by playing games all night... *really* stupid.

However, I've never seen a single news story get things right when I've had personal knowledge of the situation; they always screw up at least one thing. So until there's a conviction, I'll reserve judgement.

[r0s3b0wl23]

FRAGGED BY TYRONE

DOUBLE KILL

RAMPAGE

I wonder how the liberal soccer moms are going to use this story to ban violent video games so they can let electronics raise their kids.

[gameraxis]

he'll be convicted of manslaughter because he knew the risk and didn't act to prevent it, or didn't know the risk but by a reasonable persons' standard.. should have. strait from my criminal law class.

[masterg]

This actually happens a lot.
Parents should never sleep in the same bed as babies under 1½ years old. Many babies die every year because of this :(

[HolyOrangeCows]

He could have went without punishment.
In Florida, Criminally negligent manslaughter is considered "Lawful", if illegal acts aren't taking place.

But I hope he gets some prison time. Suffocating a baby because you got sleepy after a halo session is pathetic and socially irresponsible.

[Darkstorn]

@1.16-
MSNBC reviews video games, and Keith Olbermann regularly comes out in support of gamers (especially after the Mass Effect fiasco). You should also note that Focus on the Family, Jack Thompson, Sam Brownback, Dennis Hastert, and Ronald Reagan all came out against violent video games at some point in their careers, and all are very conservative Republicans. The only Democrats that have made anti-video game statements are Leeland Yee and Hillary Clinton (and Clinton isn't even a liberal, she's very hawkish on foreign policy).
You should also know that soccer moms tend to be upper-middle class, conservative, SUV-driving college dropouts, not working class inner-city liberals.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wik...

[Bereaver]

I want to say one thing about all you idiots screaming that this is so sad. You need to wake up and see the real world. Do you know how often a baby under 1 dies? How about you start counting every 20 seconds and add one.

Now, after that's over. It is a little saddening, but, I'm not going to scream if someone tries to make a little fun out of it.

When I was younger, I always heard of some parents sharing the bed with the baby and accidentally rolling over and suffocating it. But usually the baby would be under 5 months. He must have been toked out to not be able to wake up from a 7 month year old kicking and screaming.

[Saaking]

If you have to take care of someone why not take precautions. There is no one to blame but himself.

[Pillage05]

I like how they try to emphasize the all-night gaming session rather than the weed smoking :S

[LeonSKennedy4Life]

This is just sad. What the frick is wrong with that man?

[BISHOP-BRASIL]

To start, he had a baby... Seriously, if you are the kind of person that will play videogames, smoke weed or whatever over fulfill your responsabilities, don't procriate, kids need more than you can afford.

Kids under 2 years old choke to death all the time thanks to stupid little actions, from sleeping with your baby in the same bed or sofa, to letting coins anywhere in babies' range.

If responsible parents sometimes commit those little uncareful actions that can cost a child's life, what could we wait from a pothead father?

[Lemon Jelly]

I just don't understand why they put this stuff on here, just because he was playing video games doesn't mean it needs to be put on a video game news site. It's just here to make us feel guilty and put blame on video games. Do I feel bad for the child? yes, should it be on CNN more then N4G? yes.

[Alcon Caper]

"He also later tried to cover up how his daughter died, police said."

I'm sorry, but I couldn't help but snicker a little.

Very tragic case of horrible parenting, though.

[Fishy Fingers]

What a negative use of gaming as an excuse. The simple fact is parents are recommended to never fall asleep with young children/babies for this exact reason, that alone is the irresponsible part.

Still, my condolences.

[AssassinHD]

Don't you just love how the title of the story conveniently excludes the use of a controlled substance?

[Halo_Reach]

Rest in Peace baby... and the parent should be punished...

[table]

It was a tragic accident. He was irresponsible but losing a child like that is punishment enough.

[SKUD]

I have to disagree. He should be put to death.

[silvacrest]

imagine the shoe was on the other foot, would you still think this justifies death?

[ReBurn]

"imagine the shoe was on the other foot, would you still think this justifies death? "

Like if the baby stayed up playing games all night and fell asleep on him? Not sure what you're trying to say.

I don't think he should be put to death. I really think that he should have to live with what he's done. A much more fitting punishment.

[LeonSKennedy4Life]

That WAS BEAUTIFUL!

[rawd]

<insert my usual U.S.A joke here>

[cyborg6971]

How could you joke about something as terrible as this?

[Anorexorcist]

With that textbook "America is Bad because America is Fat" complex.

Yeah well if it weren't for the American force you, your parents, and most likely grandparents would be living under the very discerning, critical eye of the Nazi Regime. Which of course would most likely not even let idiots like you have free access to the Internet and you coming onto N4G would be a free-living luxury for you.

[MaximusPrime78]

It's not the all night gaming that's the problem. It was the fact that he was high. The idiot should never have been smoking weed if he had a baby to care for. I have spent many nights up til 4 or 5 gaming and came to bed and never rolled over on my 2 kids. My 8 month old has slept in the bed with my wife and I since the day we brought him home and my 3 year old son slept with us also for his first 2 and a half years and we've never even came close to harming our children. I'm tired of every outlet possible trying to blame video games on every problem in society.

[table]

he wasn't high, he had been smoking many many hours before he fell asleep. Weed is just another scapegoat. The exact same thing could have happened if he didn't have any weed and didn't play any games. The fact is he was just tired from sleep deprivation and so fell asleep with the baby at his side.

[djfullshred]

He wasn't high? How can you stay up all night smoking weed, and not be high? Weed is the scapegoat? Just like alcohol is a "scapegoat" when a drunk driver kills someone?

I get that many people like pot, and want to defend the plant. But intoxation causes impaired judgement, regardless what drug you are talking about.

[BX81]

If he was smoking da herb guess what he was high! Mix that with lack of sleep and guess what you have an accident waiting to happen. I would love to smoke some herb but I have kids to think about. This parent exercised poor judgement was it intentional to kill his own child? More than likely not. He should be punished with jail time for being a d-bag! It's funny in America if our friend is drunk we give him/her a ride home make sure they sleep on their side so they don't choke on vomit. If they get high we don't even think twice about it! I know I don't. The fact of the matter is if they are high they are impaired. I wonder why we (not everyone) don't consider weed as impairing as alcohol.

[table]

"Just like alcohol is a "scapegoat" when a drunk driver kills someone?"

he was smoking weed the previous afternoon. He fell asleep at 6.30am the next morning. That's over 12hours since he had a smoke. He wasn't high. I should have worded it clearer in my first comment.

"The fact of the matter is if they are high they are impaired. I wonder why we (not everyone) don't consider weed as impairing as alcohol."

Because it isn't as impairing. All weed does is make you giggly and a little drowsy. Alchohol actually makes you loose sense of everything going on around you. You obviously have never been drunk or high. There is a world of difference. Now that you mention it, smoking pot has a far greater negative image than being drunk despite the obvious fact that alchohol is by far the more dangerous drug. It's just people falling into the fallacy of something legal being acceptable and something illegal being immoral.

[cyborg6971]

Because weed impairs you differently than booze that's why. Bx quit trying so hard to be something your not. I mean an expert on anything that doesn't include yo gabba gabba.

[gameraxis]

i understand your point, but even if its as innocent as sleeping with your baby in the bed, the "nothing ever happened" speech needs to be interjected with a big YET. I'd say your risking your baby's life by having him/her sleep in your bed with you and your wife, as innocent as it is, think about it, all it takes is a long day when you or your wife are a little more tired than normal and don't realize you rolled over on top of him/her. (and if neither of your roll while sleeping as some don't... until you roll for the first time)

all it will take is that one night it DOES happen to erase all the 1000 times it was "fine"

[djfullshred]

Impaired is impaired, regardless what your drug of choice is. Raising children is a sober responsibility, because you have to be proactive in protecting them 24/7.

I've done it all as far as alcohol & drugs go, and probably more than most of you. You can't BS me on this kind of thing. Every nooby pot smoker out there says, "I am different. It doesn't effect me like all those other people". Yeah riiiight. Old schooler like me don't defend it or advocate it. We use it, but know the pros & cons. There is always a negative to recreational drug use. Sometimes it just takes a long time for some people to recognize the issues, because it is mostly fun at first.

[Kluv]

who care if this guy was smoking weed. Who cares if the last guy was drunk. Who cares if the kid had severe depression. The most important factor was the fact that they were playing games!!!!!! *gasp*

[Cobex]

This. What the hell does it matter what he was watching or doing. Fact is that he was getting kained with his kid around and ended up killing her. Would it matter if he was watching tv or listening to music?
Guy should not have been aloud kids in the first place

[mrv321]

So let me get this straight... He smokes weed something that is illegal in most countries yet the Video game is the problem.

It's like the police blaming the radio for someone who crashed while drunk.

[BlindBandit]

Police say Lawrence acted irresponsibly by having stayed up all night playing videogames and smoking weed."

*sigh* smoking Weed make people lose control & do something stupid since weed make your IQ even stupider.

[darkgunner]

"stupider"

...

Anyway, it's a tragedy what happened, the guy should be blamed. Not the weed, or the game.

[EvilCackle]

I read the headline quickly and thought it said "Man falls asleep after all-night gaming session."

[djfullshred]

This is messed up. Being stoned while caring for an infant is a disaster waiting to happen.

[bacon13]

Either you are being sarcastic or completely ignorant. Weed does not make you stupid or lower your IQ. It is actually a completely harmless substance that when used properly can bring great joy and happiness to whoever uses it. If you want to look at something that has killed millions of people, truly ruined lives and really makes you a total waste of life, look no further to alcohol. This is just more bad publicity by the terribly run and operated media to take jabs at video games and pot. Both of which are great together and seperate. Of course this guy should have been caring for his infant instead of smoking weed and playing games.

[djfullshred]

Inhaling smoke directly into your lungs is not harmless. There is a lot of tar in pot smoke. And "joy" is a fleeting thing when it comes from a chemical. It is only the delusion of joy you are experiencing while being in an impaired state of mind.

[DirtyLary]

love listening to the potheads justify smoking.

[BlindBandit]

Marijuana Dangers

Impaired perception
Diminished short-term memory
Loss of concentration and coordination
Impaired judgement

*Increased risk of accidents* that what happen to that guy & look what happen to that poor kid thanks to his pothead dad.

Loss of motivation
Diminished inhibitions
Increased heart rate
Anxiety, panic attacks, and paranoia
Hallucinations
Damage to the respiratory, reproductive, and immune systems
Increased risk of cancer
Psychological dependency

[cyborg6971]

How can joy be delusional you make no sense no matter how much you try.

[mrv321]

Brings great joy *sigh* People used to wake up in the mornings and smile simply because they lived another day, they didn't need such chemicals to feel happy. I'd rather have a real happy fealing than a false one any day.

Cannabis should remained a banned drug. The penalties for drunk violent behaviour should be increased and tobacco should be down right banned.

You know what, the only reason people do weed is to repel and feel happy. Except for the fact that A) Most people have done it(not really repeling) and B) They aren't really happy if you need some chemical to smile.

Watch 'To end all Wars' and then realise how god damn lucky we are, realise that no matter how bad things get they will never be at the worst. Realise that smoking weed is by far the worst statement for repelious behaviour, look at yourself next time... you'll be dissapointed.

[cyborg6971]

Disappointed in what? Who are you to say what I can and cannot do to myself if I choose to do so. What are you fascist. People do it cause it's fun, relaxing and all the rest. Let me guess you a bible beater. I would love to live the virtual world you seem to dwell in. It sounds nice. But the fact of the matter is the world is a disturbing place that kicks you when your down. It's just that some cope differently than others. Ban tobacco your nuts. I think your parents are the ones who are disappointed.
Edit I am happy and don't need anything to excentuate this. And if I do that does not mean the happiness I feel is not genuine.

[djfullshred]

I love the debate, because I have been through it all. I know how chemical "joy" eventually morphs into "my life sucks unless I feel high".

But I don't think of chemically induced euphoria as joy, as in the definition: "Intense and especially ecstatic or exultant happiness."

Even if you think a drug is making you happy, following down that path for too long will result in ever increasing unhappiness when the drug wears off. And the roller coaster of happy/unhappy will negatively effect your quality of life as you keep chasing happiness through chemicals.

[execution17]

how many xbox related deaths are there now?

[DirtyLary]

typical pothead.

[Jamaicangmr]

This is tragedy how ever i don't think the police should lock him up for this as it was clearly an accident. Saying he is irresponsible because he stayed up alnight playing videogames is just an attempt to blame videogames. If he had stayed up alnight cleaning, working at the plant or painting the baby's room the samething could've resulted. Would they blame the child's death on irresponsibility then?

All am saying is this was a freak accident and i believe that the tragic death of his child is punishment enough. Am sure he will never be the same again. Lets not use him to make a case against videogames.

Blame his weed smoking which makes more sense to me and most logical thinking human beings. Leave my videogames alone.

[timestoby]

if that isnt OWNAGE,I DONT KNOW WOT IS LOL

[LoLZoRz]

xbox players FTL!!!!

[cyborg6971]

You two above me are phuckin losers. Maybe I should find the both of you and sit on you when you sleep. D-bags, maybe when you have kids (After you mature) you will come back to these statements and do a face palm. GROW UP.

[blackblades]

I agree with cyborg6971

[r0s3b0wl23]

Poor baby

[LeonSKennedy4Life]

...and they say marijuana is harmless.

: (

[cyborg6971]

And what's the proof that it's not? Please enlighten the group doctor.

[cpuchess]

A baby dieing is proof enough...

[cyborg6971]

Prove to me that the child died as a direct result of his drug use and I'll give you a cookie. You know what I'll be eating the cookie cause you can't.

[cpuchess]

The baby is dead, he was on drugs that's the proof. Just as much as a drunk driver who kills somebody in a car accident. They were under the influence and that's all that matters to cause him guilt in a court of law. You could also say where is the proof when somebody jumps out of a plane without a parachute, could be gravity that kills him but who knows maybe it was something else.

[cyborg6971]

But you can't prove that can you? No you can't.

[OhMyGandhi]

"Sleeping in the same bed with children has risks."
Michael Jackson didn't think so.

[robotnik]

He should be suffocated to death too. What a pity.

[Jack-Pyro]

I love a good flame war as much as the next guy, but lets get real here!

Whenever an article concerns death, and especially the death of a CHILD, then we all need to take off the fanboy goggles, loose the stupid comments and have a few moments of respect for the dead!

Believe it or not, Death is Sacred to some people, and making light of it can be, and is, very offensive to people!

I close this by saying that if you truly hate anything, so much, as to make a joke about it involving a childs death, than I truly, truly pity you!

[gumgum99]

um, what?

[Setekh]

Never mind blaming weed or bad parenting for this one, it's the video games that are responsible!!

Give me a break.

[very normal guy]

dont sleep near your baby but dont smoke weed near them too