Ron Coppernick

Ron Coppernick (3 November 2123 &mdash; 27 June 2160) was a citizen and civilian of the City of Overcast,, whose name and image became known for being the victim of one of a number of servicemember-involved-shooting (SIS) cases that have officially been ruled as suicide by cop. He is the twin brother of Ryan Coppernick, who died on the same day less than an hour before Ron.

Physical Description
Ron Coppernick is a tall arctic hare with digitigrade legs and a white fur coat all over, with the addition of black markings on the nose, around the eyes, and on the tips of his long ears. Ron usually dresses in regular black jeans, a simple t-shirt, and a green jacket. He is generally regarded as looking tired and/or sad in the resting expression on his face.

Family
Ron was born to arctic hare parents on the 3rd of November 2123 as the second child in a set of identical twins. Being the second-born son, Ron was lovingly known as the 'little' brother of the two by his twin sibling. Ron's childhood was spent in roughly equal parts separate and together with his twin brother. The twins attended the same elementary, middle, and high schools all throughout their grade-school years, and although the two were physically and emotionally close, both siblings had their own specific and unique interests outside of familial interaction.

Some time after his high school graduation, Ron left home to attend college in the pursuit of a degree in computer science. Following multiple failing grades in higher-level mathematics courses, Ron ultimately dropped out of college with an otherwise excellent record, specifically in non-math courses. Using emphasis on his good grades in computer science classes, Ron eventually secured a white-collar job at a relatively small tech company, though this came at the cost of having to relocate even farther from his family.

Death
On the 27th of June 2160, Ron Coppernick met up with his brother Ryan for the last time on the Overcast Metro. According to surveillance footage, both brothers travelled close together for several stations, and later exited the subway at Mayakovskaya Station. Ron and Ryan then walked the rest of the way to a Department of Civilian Affairs owned vehicle impound lot. DCA records show that Ron paid $5,000 ARD in fees accrued by Ryan, and was subsequently given access to the impound parking garage along with Ryan in order to retrieve Ryan's car. Ron was then presumably driven to Ryan's house, where Ryan was later found dead in the kitchen by DCA police and paramedics.

At the same time that Ryan's body was discovered, Ron was the subject of a traffic stop that was initiated due to him driving Ryan's vehicle at night without its headlights turned on. Reports from the two policemen that were on-scene mention a faint smell of blood on Ron and the appearance of Ron having been crying prior to the stop. In the process of being detained, Ron managed to knock over one of the policemen and steal their cruiser as well. Ron then proceeded to drive the cruiser recklessly through traffic, later charging towards West Freight Gate B of, and ultimately suffering and succumbing to a massive gunshot wound from a PTRS-41/55 anti-materiel rifle in the hands of Department of Justice Security Forces guarding that gate.

Criminal Investigation
The death of Ron Coppernick was investigated by the Justice Department's Security Forces division, where it was purported that Ron intentionally died in an apparent murder-suicide involving their twin brother Ryan. The SF retraced Ron's steps up until the end at Ramiel Castle, starting from Ron's train ride with their brother, and including the theft of a Public Security metro police car. Forensic investigation conducted by the SF found Ryan's blood staining Ron's pant and shoes. Forensic investigation shared by Section 2 of Public Security later found that the only two people that were in Ryan's home at the time of Ryan's death was Ryan himself and Ron. Official SF statements also call attention to apparent tensions between the two brothers, as supported by a small argument caught on the interior surveillance camera of the car impound office; however, interviews involving the brothers' other family members indicate the opposite.

It was ultimately and officially concluded by the Security Forces that Ron Coppernick had killed their twin brother Ryan Coppernick, and later used the theft of a police cruiser to provoke Security Forces guards into executing him. The case is considered closed by SF and PS authorities alike.

Controversy
Ron Coppernick's death was, and to some extent still is, a spark of controversy in some circles. It is suspected and debated that Ron was somehow set-up and framed in an apparent murder-suicide. Individuals and groups thereof cite lesser-focused evidence in the criminal investigation that indicate there was a silver suitcase that Ryan was carrying, which went completely missing in the time between Ryan's drive home and Ron's traffic stop. Other debated topics on the matter include the Security Forces' willingness to immediately kill Ron as opposed to disabling the stolen police cruiser he was driving, the fact that the two separate investigations were relatively quick to rule Ron's death as a suicide, and the fact that the servicemember that shot and killed Ron Coppernick faced no charges whatsoever and later left the Security Forces.