Police investigation reveals cause of death of Boeing whistleblower

(CNN) — Boeing whistleblower John Barnett committed suicide, according to a police report made public Friday.

The report concludes the investigation into the surprising death of an employee who had raised questions about the plane maker’s safety and production standards for years, and who had sued the company alleging it had unlawfully treated him. Took revenge.

Barnett, 62, was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a vehicle in Charleston, South Carolina on March 9. According to his lawyers and a police report, officers were sent to the Holiday Inn to check on Barnett’s condition after he failed to appear for testimony in his case against Boeing.

When they arrived, officers found Barnett dead in the driver’s seat of a truck in the parking lot. He had a gun in his hand. The initial police report also said there was a note in the truck.

But Barnett’s lawyers said in a statement after his death that his testimony was almost complete and he seemed to be in good spirits.

His lawyers Robert Turkwitz and Brian Knowles said in a March 12 statement, “We saw no indication that he was going to take his own life. No one can believe it.” “Charleston police need to conduct a thorough, accurate investigation of this and let the public know what they found.”

The Charleston Police Department completed its investigation of Barnett’s death on Friday, and said the Charleston County Coroner’s Office determined that Barnett had committed suicide.

The investigation revealed that Barnett had been shot in the head at close range and the gun was found in his right hand. A notebook was also found in the front seat of the car that indicated he was “experiencing severe personal crisis”, according to a news release about the police investigation.

Police shared with CNN an image of a note left in the car, which contained several insulting messages directed at Boeing.

Police said, “As this investigation comes to a close, we must not forget that this represents the loss of Mr. Barnett’s life.” “We offer our deepest condolences to his family at this difficult time and hope they find the strength to continue in his absence.”

Boeing did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In March, the company said it was saddened by Barnett’s death.

“Our thoughts are with his family and friends,” the company said.

Security failure allegations

Barnett, a former quality manager who worked at Boeing for decades, told The New York Times in 2019 that he had discovered clusters of unsafe cables in Boeing’s manufacturing processes that, if cut by nearby metal chips, could have caused a catastrophic accident. Could have been an airplane.

“As a quality manager at Boeing, you are the last line of defense before a defect reaches the public,” Barnett told the Times. “And I have yet to see a plane take off from Charleston that I can put my name on and say is safe and airworthy.”

In a statement sent to plant employees and given to CNN at the time, Brad Zback, plant manager and general manager of the 787 program, said the Times report “paints a biased and inaccurate picture of the program and our team.” plant)”.

Zabach said the Times declined an invitation to tour the plant, saying “quality is the foundation of who we are,” adding that the plant provides “the highest quality airplanes.”

Since Barnett’s initial public warnings about Boeing, the company has suffered several high-profile safety and quality failures, including a 737 Max door plug burst shortly after takeoff in January. This led the US Justice Department to announce this week that Boeing could face criminal prosecution over its history of safety problems.

How to Get Help for Someone Who May Be Suicidal

To reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in the United States, call 1-800-273-8255 or text “talk” to 741741 or 988. Provides free, confidential support to people in suicidal crisis or crisis 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also call 1-800-273-8255 to speak to someone about how you can help someone in crisis. For TrevorLifeline, a suicide prevention counseling service for the LGBTQ community, call 1-866-488-7386.

For assistance outside the US, the International Association for Suicide Prevention offers a global directory of resources and international hotlines. You can also use Befrienders Worldwide. You can find more information here.