Charge and incident
Christopher Boone Crimmins, 34, has been charged with second-degree manslaughter in connection with the death of his co-worker, Tyler Anthony Lynch, 26, who was killed when a truck-mounted hydraulic grapple closed on his head during a tree-trimming job in Apple Valley, Minnesota, on Thursday afternoon.
According to a criminal complaint filed Friday in Dakota County, Crimmins told police that he and Lynch were working together when the two started "f------ around." The men noticed the grapple's shadow and Lynch's shadow on the ground, and Crimmins allegedly began moving the grapple to make it look like it was grabbing Lynch, according to the complaint.
Crimmins was watching the shadows rather than Lynch himself, the complaint said, and did not realize the grapple was closing in on Lynch's actual head until it crushed it.
Police response and witness account
Police who arrived at the scene found Lynch on the ground "with a large amount of blood around his body and a significant injury to his head," according to the Dakota County Attorney's Office.
A witness told investigators they saw the grapple hit or pinch Lynch's head, the complaint said. Crimmins was the only member of the crew with the commercial license to operate the machine, which the team was using to clear branches during the job.
Legal proceedings
Bail was set at $40,000 unconditional, or $20,000 with conditions, the Dakota County Attorney's Office said Friday. Crimmins faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
As of Sunday afternoon, Crimmins was not listed in Dakota County Jail records. Court records were not immediately available, and it's unclear whether he has retained an attorney. A phone number listed for Crimmins was not immediately returned Sunday.
He is next expected in court on Sept. 10, according to the county attorney's office.