Boeing Whistleblower John Barnett Died by Suicide, Coroner Says

• The cause of death of Boeing whistleblower John Barnett has been determined.
• Before his death, the whistleblower, who spent about 30 years at Boeing, raised various alleged concerns about the plane’s safety.
• “Barnett’s long-standing mental health issues have intensified in connection with ongoing legal proceedings related to his whistleblower case,” the Charleston Police Department said in a statement.

The cause of death of former Boeing quality control chief John Barnett has been determined.

A 62-year-old Louisiana man died by suicide on March 9, the Charleston County Coroner’s Office said, according to a statement from the Charleston Police Department, obtained by PEOPLE on Friday, May 17.

At the time of his death, the Charleston County Coroner’s Office said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE that Barnett died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. He was found dead in his car in the parking lot of his Holiday Inn, located at 301 Savannah Highway.

The Charleston Police Department said in a May 17 statement that “no evidence of forced entry was found and there were no signs of a physical struggle inside the vehicle.”

“Information and records reviewed during the investigation revealed Mr. Barnett’s long-term mental health issues, which were exacerbated in connection with the ongoing legal proceedings related to his whistleblower case,” police said.

Boeing is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia.

Celal Gunes / Anadolu Agency / Getty

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In addition, the Charleston Police Department said a notebook was found in the passenger seat of the vehicle that “contained a note from Mr. Barnett that suggested he was going through a period of serious personal distress.”

In a statement in March, Barnett’s family said he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety, claiming a “hostile work environment at Boeing” led to his death, NBC News reported.

“John told us that every day is a battle to get the administration to do the right thing,” the family said in a statement. “He was looking forward to his day in court and hoped it would force Boeing to change its culture.”

Boeing is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia.

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Barnett, who worked at Boeing for about 30 years before his retirement in 2017, was in Charleston, SC, to testify in his whistleblower case against Boeing after alleged safety concerns, reports Time and the BBC.

The United States Department of Labor has been working on the discovery phase of its investigation and is scheduled to begin hearings on the complaint this June.

“John was in the midst of testifying in his whistleblower retaliation case, which was finally coming to an end,” his attorneys, Robert Turkewitz and Brian Knowles, said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE in March.

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“He was in very good spirits and very much looking forward to putting this phase of his life behind him and moving on. We saw no indication that he was going to take his own life. No one can believe that,” they added. “We need more information about what happened to John. Charleston police need to investigate this fully and accurately and tell the public what they have found. No detail can go unanswered.”

The BBC reported that he had made a formal statement and had been questioned by Boeing’s lawyers a week before his death and was due to undergo further questioning that Saturday.

Boeing plane.

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Barnett first filed a complaint with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in January 2017. He accused Boeing of retaliating against him, but the agency found nothing. He appealed the decision, it is stated The Washington Post.

Two years later, in an interview with the BBC, he claimed that employees were under pressure to deliberately install aircraft with non-standard parts on the assembly line. He also told the newspaper about his concerns about the oxygen systems on Boeing’s 787 Dreamliners. He stated that one in four breathing masks would not work in an emergency.

Barnett’s death follows recent public attention from Boeing following a series of public incidents — including when part of a Boeing plane exploded mid-flight on an Alaska Airlines flight and when 50 people were injured on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner when sudden mid-air movement caused the plane to plummet .

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If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Line by dialing 988, texting “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Line at 741741 or going to 988lifeline.org.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education