Marine charged in alleged friendly-fire death - Marine Corps News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Marine Corps Times

Marine charged in alleged friendly-fire death

SAN ANTONIO — A Marine has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in the battlefield death of a fellow Marine who was the son of the San Antonio Spurs’ team physician.

Military officials confirmed Wednesday that Sgt. Jason Byrd was charged following a military hearing in Afghanistan this week. A commanding general will now decide whether the charges have merit and Byrd will face court-martial.

Byrd was charged in the October shooting death of Lance Cpl. Benjamin Schmidt. The 24-year-old was the son of Dr. David Schmidt, who’s a team physician with the Spurs.

The military has called the shooting a case of friendly fire.

David Schmidt told the San Antonio Express-News that he doesn’t harbor anger and hopes the charges don’t ruin Byrd’s life.