“They didn’t use any of our witnesses,” said Ellingson, referring to his son’s friends and a couple who had told the patrol in interviews that the trooper didn’t hurry to help Brandon Ellingson as he treaded water near the patrol boat. “They told one side of the story.”

Brandon Ellingson, a student at Arizona State University, drowned May 31 after Piercy arrested him for boating while intoxicated. Ellingson had been driving his family’s boat, a 28-foot Sea Ray called the “Sotally Tober,” with several of his friends when the trooper stopped the boat after seeing a Bud Light can either fall or get tossed from the boat. Piercy suspected Ellingson was intoxicated, performed tests and handcuffed him before putting a life vest on him.

After Ellingson went overboard, the life vest slipped off. Piercy had put the vest on after Ellingson was handcuffed, and witnesses questioned whether it was appropriately secured.

Piercy testified that he didn’t feel adequately trained in making arrests on the water, placing life jackets on people or handling water rescues. Piercy is back on duty but working Missouri highways, not waterways.

Highway Patrol Col. Ronald Replogle has said the patrol would continue its “review of all procedures related to this incident.”