JEFFERSON CITY (AP) – Missouri state representatives will hold a hearing Wednesday to review management, trooper training and a 2011 merger between the state highway and water patrols.
The review follows the death of a 20-year-old handcuffed man who drowned May 31 in the Lake of the Ozarks. A state trooper had arrested the man for drunken boating and handcuffed him before the man slipped into the water.
The trooper says he wasn’t trained to handle the situation.
Lawmakers now question whether the merger overwhelmed troopers while saving the state money. Combining the departments was supposed to save the state about $3 million a year.
The merger is in place despite concerns from water patrol officials who warned lawmakers that it could hurt services.