'Should have got life’: Family criticizes 8-year sentence for driver in fatal bike crash
WASHINGTON - A man who ran over and killed a bicyclist in Washington, D.C., was sentenced to eight years in prison, a punishment the victim’s family is calling a "slap on the wrist."
Eric Beasley, 33, was sentenced Friday for involuntary manslaughter in the death of 45-year-old David Farewell.
The incident on Sept. 4, 2020, was captured on security camera footage. Beasley had originally been charged with murder, but he accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to the lesser charge.
Lateisha Stuckey, Farewell’s daughter, expressed frustration with the sentence.
"It's not enough. The way I see it, a life for a life. I believe that he should be in prison for a long time," she told FOX 5 outside the courtroom.
Landlord wants DC resident to remove doorbell camera that's helped MPD solve crimes
If you rent your home in D.C. and use a doorbell camera for security, can your landlord force you to take it down?
"He should have got life, without the possibility of parole. What did he do to anybody? He should have gotten life," added Tonya Kie, the victim's sister.
The surveillance footage from that night shows Farewell riding his bicycle on the sidewalk at around 11:50 p.m. Beasley, then 29, was driving alongside him in his car.
The two exchanged heated words before Farewell got back on his bike and crossed the street.
Moments later, Beasley accelerated and struck Farewell, who was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
In an earlier trial that ended in a hung jury, Beasley testified that he had meant to hit the brakes but accidentally stepped on the gas. He was arrested a week after the incident and initially charged with first-degree murder.
Stuckey was emotional as she spoke about Beasley’s actions.
"When I look at the video, I see a menace. You did that on purpose. You had it in your mind that this is what you're going to do. But for what? You don't even know why you did it. You just took an innocent person's life," she said.
Beasley has a prior criminal history, including an assault with a dangerous weapon charge from 2016.
He must first serve his sentence for that conviction before beginning his time for Farewell’s death.