Update: PINAC reader Theo put together a petition calling for the termination of Oklahoma State Trooper Daniel Martin. For whatever it’s worth, we will send it to Oklahoma Highway Patrol Chief, Colonel Van M. Guillotte. Also, see the dash cam video here.
By Carlos Miller
An Oklahoma State Trooper pulled over an ambulance on its way to the hospital Sunday, resulting in the police officer placing a chokehold on a paramedic as a patient lingered in the back.
It was all caught on video by the patient’s son, who was following in another car.
The officer was apparently upset that the ambulance did not yield for him.
However, it is evident that the ambulance had a real emergency on its hands, unlike the cop, who had been speeding towards some incident he was able to resolve in minutes, enabling him to refocus his attention on the ambulance.
The incident marks the second time this year that a police officer pulled a vehicle over as it was clearly on its way to a hospital for an emergency.
Paramedics say they were rushing a woman to the hospital who had suffered heat exhaustion when they noticed the trooper traveling at a high rate of speed behind them. They say the trooper had its emergency lights on but had its sirens off.
The driver of the ambulance did not notice the trooper until it got right behind him. He pulled over allowing it to pass.
Through his microphone, the officer allegedly said, “You should consider checking your rearview mirrors.”
The driver of the ambulance said he responded by lifting his hands in bewilderment.
Three blocks later, the trooper was seen pulling out of a side street – apparently having addressed his emergency or having picked up a female passenger – and pulled the ambulance over.
At first, paramedics thought the woman in the passenger side was having an emergency.
According to the paramedic’s transport incident report:
The officer got out of his vehicle in a state of rage. He approached my partner and yelled, “Get your ass back here. I am giving you a ticket for failure to yield.”
He also added, “What do you mean flipping me off?”
The trooper wanted to cite the driver of the ambulance but the other paramedic insisted on driving the patient to the hospital first, then allowing the driver to be cited.
The trooper then told the second paramedic that he was under arrest for obstruction and attempted to grab the paramedic’s arm.
But the paramedic reminded him that it was a felony to assault a paramedic in the line of duty, especially when he needs to transport a patient to the hospital.
They struggled briefly before the paramedic was able to hop in the back of the ambulance to tend to the patient.
By that time, another trooper had pulled up and started banging on the side of the ambulance, telling the paramedic that he was under arrest for assault.
The paramedic stepped out of the vehicle and another struggle ensued – this one caught on tape – which resulted in a cop grabbing the paramedic in a vise-like-grip around his neck.
The officers finally allowed the paramedics to transport the patient to the hospital where they planned to arrest the paramedic.
But then they finally got smart and contacted the district attorney, who insisted on reviewing the evidence before filing charges.
Police say they have their own version of the truth that was recorded by their dashboard cam. Of course they are refusing to release it.
At one point in the hospital, the trooper told the paramedic that he was so enraged about the perceived “flipping off” gesture that he considered pulling his gun out and using deadly force, according to the paramedic’s transport report.
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Related posts:
- Oklahoma cops refuse to release dashcam video of chokehold incident
- Oklahoma cop proves to be a liar after dash cam is released (sign petition to get him fired)
- Oklahoma EMT sues lying cop
- Oklahoma trooper’s lawyer says EMT escalated situation
- Oklahoma Trooper case gets national exposure in mainstream media
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Fernandez, as I mentioned in a 
Shame that the paramedic didn’t think to radio for help (for the patient) then allow himself to be arrested, with the end goal being to have the officer charged with a felony.
Nothing like a felony charge to keep an officer from harassing anyone else.
Not that I do anything nearly as important as paramedics, but in my years of driving the fire police buggy, I have never expected to have anyone be going fast enough to pull up behind me, nonetheless someone else running lights and sirens to a call. It did happen to me once, though – my chief pulled up behind me while we were splitting two lanes of traffic in the city. I radioed him on our private channel and told him to go ahead around me when we make the turn, which he did, as he was in his pickup truck and I’m driving a sluggish old ambulance that doesn’t have the greatest acceleration in the world.
So, no, the ambulance driver shouldn’t be expected to be watching his mirrors. As with all drivers, but ESPECIALLY when driving an emergency vehicle in an emergency situation, all of his attention should be on the road in front of him.
The failure to yield is a tricky situation, as in most if not all states, there is no differentiation or clarification as to who should yield to whom when it comes to two emergency vehicles going in the same direction. It hardly ever happens, and most of the times that it does, everyone’s going to the same place. The only situation that ever is addressed is when it comes to intersections.
If the emergency call for the Trooper was so dire, why did he have time to come back and pull over an ambulance?
http://digg.com/world_news/Cops_Fight_Paramedic_En_Route_to_Hospital_w_Video
Why didn’t the cop pull in front of the ambulance and escort it to the hospital?!? Aren’t they on the same “team?”
Another Contempt of Cop incident, brought to you by Amerika, The Police State.
Absolutely ridiculous and an abuse of authority.
Did they know they were being filmed?
I lived in OK for a while and I can tell you what the real issue is here, the ER is negro, the OHP is gringo. how dare a negro talk back to a gringo without tap dancin’ and saying things like “yessa massa police man, yessa”. There is a reason the OHP all shaves to the scalp, the most racist state I have ever lived in was Oklahoma
At one point in the hospital, the trooper told the paramedic that he was so enraged about the perceived “flipping off” gesture that he considered pulling his gun out and using deadly force, according to the paramedic’s transport report.
That officer isn’t suitable for the job, in fact he should be put away behind bars.
Oklahoma State Police. Only thing they have going for themselves is that the New Mexico State Police are worse!!!
Sounds to me like a simple case of a cop with road rage!
That cop is lucky that the patient wasn’t in an immediately-life-threatening condition (though I would hope that if she was, the ambulance wouldn’t have stopped until they reached the hospital). If the patient had died, he would be facing a wrongful death lawsuit. I would like to think he would be facing charges, but I know better than to expect that.
Wrongful death? For the Only Ones choking EMTs enough, internal affairs investigation would yield, say, 3 days paid leave. LOL
And yeah, you can’t have a white cop perceiving offense from a black EMT, or the world would end, or his ego, which are equivalent.
Remember, it’s the Only One’s country, and you just live in by their leave.
Wow, these cops need to be stripped of their badges and thrown in jail.
I want to hear what a LEO thinks about this. Pulling over an ambulance? Are you serious?
I am appalled. The most important issue here is the woman in the ambulance; perceived emergency or not, her ethical right to receive prompt and immediate care was violated by the patrolmen who stopped her transport. The woman needs to press charges.
Only in the US of A…
This Oklahoma matter will be adjudicated by the proper authorities who will review all the facts and depose all involved parties. Leaping to a conclusion based only on one-sided media reports, edited video, and partial details is always a foolish approach. This court ruling today out of New York, linked below, is a perfect example of how reasoned, careful review of a case often reveals the truth overlooked in a knee-jerk rush to judgment based only on partial facts:
http://preview.tinyurl.com/mx7968
Where’s Jones now? haha
“Again this was all due to the mistaken idea that he (606) had been “flipped off”. I found it very disconcerting to know that a person of this temperament is allowed to patrol out streets while possessing the profound responsibility of having the use of deadly force at his disposable”
You’re not alone. People should ban together and get this pig fired. He’s a ticking time bomb.
“The family members were understandably extremely upset due to the fact that the officer showed a total disregard for the welfare of their mother. Not once did he enquire as to the severity of her condition”
That’s what a human being would do. This cop, like many others in his profession, is not really human. He apparently thinks it’s his job to “Bind Torture and Kill” other people.
THAT is why you don’t live in the Deep South or other racist states like Oklahoma. You get out when you can.
What you all don’t understand is that the welfare of the woman in the ambulance is not the issue. What is of utmost importance in this situation is that the officer’s ego be stroked, at all costs. An officer felt disrespected. I mean, what’s he supposed to do, just let it slide and not jump to conclusions, allowing the woman to receive care when he’s in the middle of a inferiority crisis?
That EMT should have a citizens arrest on that trooper. It’s your right.
HAHAHAH holly crap, was that officer on crack? How dare he!! He commited a felony and I truly hope the EMT presses felony charges against him. I am extremly digusted with this officer who obviously has mentla health issues. I truly think that this officer shoul;d be stripped of his badge. The EMT had every right to defend himself against the assault of the officer, in fact he should have grabed the cop around his neck and choked him out, he had every right to do so!!
From the linked article (emphasis added):
Someone please tell me that’s a typo and they meant “trooper”, not “paramedic”.
I would not be surprised if the paramedic is charged.
Hi there, everyone, welcome to Oklahoma.
Born and raised here, and I’m not surprised.
EXACTLY Mister DNA!
Let’s get some investigatin’ goin’ here on these good old boyz.
WHERE do we get the police report and WHO was the woman in the trooper’s car and WHY?
What was the incident so important that they had to run an ambulance off the road and time to get back and assault an EMT?
I am born and raised in Ok and still live here. This is one of the most ignorant, racist, hillbilly, machoman having places on earth, I escaped for 2 years to california and wish I could leave again. My husband is a Paramedic and could not believe this jerk pulled a bus over because of his ego. We are rallying against the Oklahoma Highway Patrol to get these troopers fired.
For anyone who is interested…
http://www.ok.gov/dac/District_Attorneys/District_24/
Note to New Yorker: You said, ”
This Oklahoma matter will be adjudicated by the proper authorities who will review all the facts and depose all involved parties.”
Translation: They’ll cover it up, exactly as you’re expecting.
If the Code of Silence wasn’t standard operating procedure, we’d be able to trust the “proper authorities” to do something about incidents of this type. However, it is standard operating procedure, and we can’t trust them. Therefore, discussions about crimes of this type are not only appropriate, but necessary. A society that allows criminals and potential killers to roam freely and act with impunity can’t exist indefinitely. Something needs to be done about these people.
Wow. Mr. cop guy, not cool dude.
Just saying this is possible that you are all jumping to conclusions about racism being involved? I didn’t hear any racist remarks being made, and I think it’s quite possible that the cop just had road rage. I’m not forgiving what he did, he should be fired and charged, but I do partially agree with New Yorker.
Partially unimportant, but holy crap, look at the size of that paramedic. That guy’s a tank!
The EMT’s of that area need to threaten a strike unless that thug of a trooper is fired asap.
I am becoming more and more embarrassed to be an Amerikan. This is an abuse of power that goes beyond anything that should be tolerated. These officers should be charged with assault, and given the evidence I have seen, they should also be charged with battery, possibly false imprisonment and the felony that does come tagged with assaulting a paramedic in the line of work. Thank you for your service to the taxpayers officers, but now you get to spend some time with the people you put behind bars. Dont drop the soap.
I am from Vermont. This country is turning into a vicious police state! There are a few states where the cops still protect and serve such as VT, NH, ME, MT, OR, and WA. Cali police are not so great either. Some of the WORST police are in Texas and Florida. You can always tell the bully police they have shaved heads or a “high and tight” Marine Corps cut. Here is how all police should behave: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyHMbHHtArE
also check this out: http://www.hermes-press.com/police_state.htm
What struck me about this incident is that it is eerily similar to a scene in the movie “Copland”.
Instead of 3 days suspension send him to 3 days sensitivity training with Al Sharpton. That will teach him.
I think back to the days of my youth, and think of LONG BEACH, CA burning, and wonder to myself, when are we going to see another riot??
It only happens in the USA! I’m glad that i’m from Europe. NL
Hopefully the officers will be fired!!!
The next “riot” will be “us” against “them (blue)”
Anyone who would like to call, email or write regarding badge #606, Daniel Martin’s behavior here’s some info:
Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry -
Email http://www.gov.ok.gov/message.php
Phone (918) 581-2801
Oklahoma Chief of Patrol Van M. Guillotte -
Email choffice@dps.state.ok.us
State Capitol Building -
2300 N. Lincoln Blvd. Room 212
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
Phone (405) 521-2342
This took place on May 24th, 2009 at about 1:30pm en route to Prague, OK which is in Lincoln County.
THANKS Lauren.
I am looking forward to the complete troopercam tape.
WHO was the woman that was with the trooper when they ran the hot ambulance off the road and
WHAT was so important that they were back in minutes to assault an EMT?
Laws must be passed giving ambulances preeminence over being pulled over this way, perhaps requiring law enforcement to accompany them to their destination, not hinder them possibly resulting in loss of life.
This is one of the most outrageously decandant displays of stupidity I’ve ever had the misfortune of seeing. Time to have independant agencies randomly testing law enforcement for steroids and other substances.
I’ve sent an email to the chief of patrol. I encourage others to do the same.
Janet Rogers – Here is how all police should behave: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyHMbHHtArE
The officer in that video was disciplined for the way he treated the driver, sad but true.
I will wait for the dashcam video but as of now I would say the cop who pulled the ambulance over is a moron.
Why does the cop’s dash cam matter? He put a strangle hold on a citizen… is that part of upholding the law? Is that acceptable behavior in any situation for a police officer?
Because he was making an arrest and the guy was resisting, what led up to the video is important.
Jones, no, it doesn’t matter — It is a felony to arrest a paramedic transporting a patient to a hospital.
Whatever else may or may not have happened, the arrest wasn’t legal, and therefore paramedics had a legal right (and potentially even an obligation) to use anything up to and including deadly force to defend their persons against an unlawful detainment (read: kidnapping)
If the cop felt a paramedic needed to be arrested he should have escorted them to the hospital and completed a lawful arrest at that time.
What in the world ???? This all makes me so angry !!! As a nurse my main concern is the patient.Sounds like someone needs to remind this policeman what an AMBULANCE is !!! Who does he think he is ??? My brother is a BSN REMT-P and he puts his life on the line doing this job because he loves his job… I would hate to think he’d have to deal like idiots like this man !!!! In reponse to people saying Oklahomans are racist idiots….. what are you talking about ???? Racism lives everywhere !! I grew up in OK and can tell you there are some very educated, and decent people who live there. This is not about those issues it is about a Policeman who needs to be reprimanded and reminded that could be his family in the ambulance and some idiot pulling them over !!! Yes IDIOT is the word !!! Why else would you pull over a Emergency vehicle ?????
I guess I still don’t understand… Are police officers allowed to choke hold someone? That’s my problem – other than the obvious stupidity of pulling over and arresting an EMT.
I suppose he has been disciplined WITH PAY, I say charge him with a felony assault, I’m about sick of these “disciplinary” actions where the brotherhood of police officers protect one another, send these officers home with pay, and then return then to the force so they can have another go at the general public. Terminate their employment, they aren’t fit for public service positions!
Perhaps this officer 606 got his training in Israhell. Thats what they do to the Palestinian ambulances all the time…when they are not shooting at them, or holding them up for hours at their checkpoints.
I was born and raised in Oklahoma and have deep family ties there. Those of you claiming that it is a hillbilly state don’t know what you’re talking about and display the stereotyping and racism you are so quick to criticize in others.
Pulling an ambulance over is ridiculous even if the driver DID give him the bird. I can’t think of a reason the officer shouldn’t face legal repercussions for his ridiculous lack of judgment. Choking a ambulance driver?!?
Dewey Squid- You are right on the money suggesting that police undergo random drug testing including steroids. Brilliant idea. It would also explain the cop’s disproportionate response to the perceived offense. Pretty hard for the police unions to argue against the idea without sounding shamefully immoral as well.
What do we do with all the brilliant ideas so they don’t die? Hey isn’t someone the weekend editor somewhere?
Cops have to deal with a lot worse craziness than getting the finger. If this one was so mad, then he would have rage hormones all over his blood and be unable to calm down when informed it was just bewilderment. Such a man just is not capable of quality police work. He has to be fired.
I am glad he did commit a felony–it is vitally important to our nation’s freedom that he does his jail time for that.
I get very angry at idiots who see one filthy disgrace to the force and think ALL cops are as vicious, self-important and dangerous as that ONE. They put their lives on the line for us and most of them deserve appreciation for it.
And we need to contact our state legislators and tell them that there needs to be a hierarchy of who goes first–usually whoever is in front, but the ambulance trumps all others, and a fire truck should outrank a cop as well.
It is a constant struggle for police forces to attract quality and to keep the bullies off the force.
What do we do with all the brilliant ideas so they don’t die? Hey isn’t someone the weekend editor somewhere?
I’ve been too busy writing stories about naked PETA women in my new weekend gig.
http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/PETA-Gets-Naked-for-No-Meat-Message.html
So do they dry-shave their kitties or what?
yea the cop had to go and pick up his hoe for the day,, these redneck assh*les need to kick off the force,
The Dave – Jones, no, it doesn’t matter — It is a felony to arrest a paramedic transporting a patient to a hospital.
I think your wrong
Here is a link to the EMT’s statement: http://static.ktul.com/documents/emtstatement_0509.pdf
Notice that the EMT who was being hassled by the troopers was not the one who was driving the ambulance-which begs the question why was the trooper attempting to arrest him? Read the statement! (Hint-COC).
sorry guys, But this can only happen in the U.S.A…
The video contradicts the paramedics statement. He claims he was pulled out of the ambulance by 606 when in fact the video shows he exited the ambulance on his own and approached another officer saying he wants to press charges on 606.
He also claims 606 was unable to get his hand behind his back but fails to say he pushed 606 and that is why he couldn’t get his hand behind his back.
Did the ambulance have it’s emergency equipment activated at the time of the stop. If not the cop couldn’t have known they had a patient so the stop isn’t as ridiculous you would think. Once the cop was informed there was a patient he should have said then I’ll follow you to the hospital and take care of it there.
Still waiting for the dash cam, hopefully that will show everything that happened.
I’ve been following this thing through google news since I first saw it on here.
Here’s the first article I’ve seen where the police department has said anything.
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20090530_12_A1_OKLAHO931830
Robert’s link is not working, but I found a Tulsa World article discussing the incident.
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=12&articleid=20090530_12_A1_OKLAHO931830
The article states that the ambulance was NOT running it’s lights/sirens.
The suggestion is that the police officer was trying to arrest the EMT for obstructing an officer because the EMT said to the driver of the ambulance: We don’t have time for this now.
So the officer started to arrest an EMT for stating that they didn’t have time for the officer to write a ticket for the other EMT, because they had to get their patient to the hospital….
Besides, it seems to me the officer’s wouldn’t have pulled over the ambulance at all, had the officer(s) not interpreted a ‘raising of the hands in suggestion of “what can you do?”‘ as the gesture of flipping the bird. Yes, I’m speculating, but the officer’s radioed the ambulance and from what I could tell, teased or other wise gave the EMT’s a hard time for missing the HiPo car behind them. It was after they radioed the ambulance that they thought the EMT driver flipped them off. They went on their ‘cop business’ and came back with a heavy case of road rage.
That’s my assumptions of this incident.
Links not working. Hit them then in the advanced search box enter “troopers involved in scuffled identified” and the exact article will come up.
A looser descrip like troopers, ambulance will get you other articles.
I am curious to see how this ends. The trooper with his hands on the neck of the EMT doesn’t look like he is trying to hurt or humiliate him, only control him and perhaps even listen. We do need to see the troopercam.
These troopers were WRONG, let’s find out if it is an education/training issue or more.
Looking forward to THEIR incident report and the trooper cam. There are a lot of good cops remember. They should be strictly disciplined for interfering with a running ambulance unless somehow a danger to the public at large.
I can’t believe you actually got PAID for that assignment. Next time your assignment is nude models let me know…
One last remark before I cease and desist. I think the EMT being choked showed remarkable restraint, and were the “officers” not in uniform, would clearly have been capable of defending himself against a gang attack.
Righton Dewey. He could have broken those little white chicken necks like snapping a pencil.
He’s really da man.
Gonna be really intg to see how this plays out in Okiehoma yet. If the troopers really weren’t a**holes, unlikely, maybe they could just apologize and take a one punch to the gut from the EMT versus demotion,fine or dismissal.
I can’t wait to find who the woman in the hot running trooper car was that was so impotent that had to run an ambulance off the road.
I predict some re-training and trips to the Betty Ford Clinic. You can tell even Okiehoma can’t cover this one up now because even the bad cops aren’t swarming the sites with outrage.
Why did a (perceived) middle finger evoke such anger in the sacred little piggy? While some here suspect either roid or road rage, I suspect something different.
Studies Find Narcissists Most Aggressive When Criticized—Recently, psychologists have debated whether high or low self-esteem underlies violent behavior. New research suggests that the most dangerous people are “those who have a strong desire to regard themselves as superior beings.”
Narcissists, according to the authors, are emotionally invested in establishing their superiority, yet while they care passionately about being superior to others, they are not convinced that they have achieved this superiority.
The authors suggest that aggression by narcissists is an interpersonally meaningful and specific response to an ego threat. “Narcissists mainly want to punish or defeat someone who has threatened their highly favorable views of themselves,” the authors note.
“People who are preoccupied with validating a grandiose self-image apparently find criticism highly upsetting and lash out against the source of it.”
The psychologists found that the most aggressive respondents in both studies were narcissists who were attacking someone who had given them a bad evaluation. Narcissists were exceptionally aggressive toward anyone who attacked or offended them.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1998/07/980720081130.htm
“If they commit a crime, they will shift the blame to someone else. If they feel bad about something, they will find someone to kick. They enjoy criticizing others even humiliating them in public but will never allow that to happen to them.”
“It is not easy dealing with Narcissists. You have to be an adult when they are running around acting like kids”
Traits to watch out for:
1) Jealousy and possessiveness
2) Excessive need to feel special, adored, loved, appreciated, or admired
3) Rage attacks when you do not sufficiently meet his/her needs
4) Controlling behaviors (trying to control how you spend your time, who you talk to, how you dress, etc.)
5) Inflated self-esteem, or grandiosity (bragging, “fishing” for compliments)
6) Dramatic, insecure behaviors
7) Expecting you to take responsibility for making him/her feel better about him/herself
9) Not taking responsibility for angry behavior and justifying angry outbursts
10) An attitude that demonstrates “the world revolves around me” and “you need to cater to my ideas, opinions, thoughts, and feelings.”
11) An unwillingness to reflect on his/her own behaviors
http://www.narcissism101.com/
Interesting points A!
I think that EMT could have kicked the trooper’s asses and then stitched them back up.
I think it’s funny that none of you seem to care that the EMT lied. He said the cop pulled him out of the ambulance when the tape clearly shows he didn’t.
If the cop said he came out of the ambulance on his own but the tape showed the cop pulled him out you would all be crying about what a liar the cop was and how he should be fired. Kind of hypercritical don’t you think?
Ridiculous! What are they doing? Choking EMT’s? And threatening to arrest them? Just for not pulling over? Who did the cops think they are? They should be sued.
SHAME ON THE OHP.
The video speaks for itself and reveals the ignorance and arrogance of these boot wearing thugs that lost their minds when someone didn’t pull over and kiss their gestapo asses. I hope the OHP and the state of OK can afford the lawsuit.
Is this really 2009 and we have a black president?
That was pure racist rage revealed in his tiny fingers on the neck of a man that could have easily put that goose-stepper down.
Jones – I would describe myself as being “pulled out of my vehicle” by a cop if they stopped me and made me get out. It isn’t an attempt to lie, but more like a figure of speech. Regardless, I don’t see how that instance – even if it is a lie – makes the cop’s actions okay.
Jones – it doesn’t matter – the fact is the officer stopped an ambulance and showed no concern for the patient’s health. THAT is the only thing that should matter here. I couldn’t care less if the EMT was Jack the Ripper – the cop should have made proper arrangements for the patient’s care first then dealt with the EMT.
As for arguing on semantics – I agree with DDP – “pulled out” is a common expression used to describe a situation where a cop orders you out of a car. It isn’t as if we have a choice – is it? Effectively I am being forced (under order) to exit my vehicle.
I thought White had exited the ambulance because he thought the woman in the cruiser might need medical attention? If he exited on his own without that story or that he was trying to protect his patient, then they could TRY the interfering etc etc and then drop the whole thing because he assaulted an EMP.
WHO was the woman in the cruiser and WHAT was so important they had to run a hot ambulance off the road and return quickly enough to STOP a running hot ambulance and assault an EMP. Where are the police reports. Where is the trooper cam?
If Oklahoma covers this up who can you go to next? Cut Obama’s tax stimulus for donuts to okie troopers and discounts for sunglasses and too much Red Bull?
Obviously none of you read the EMT’S statment. He says “Officer 606 grabbed my arm and pulled me from the ambulance”. Can you all agree that did not happen?
It doesn’t justify the officer’s lack of concern for the patient but it does make me question anything the EMT has to say.
Jones, I did read it and I am not going to read it again. That sounds like when the pencil neck pulled Whites arm and tried to put his arm behind his back, pretty funny to watch- why don’t I feel safer driving through Okiehomophobic any longer with that kind of training and competence?
I look forward to the trooper cam and the explanation of WHO the woman was in the trooper’s car and WHAT was so important they had to run a hot ambulance off the road and then return to harrass and assault them because they thought they had been flipped off.
There was a time when I prided myself on the fact that I would ALWAYS stop if I saw a trooper that needed assistance but NOW I wouldn’t know who to assist.
Anybody else remember the tasering of Massey by John Gardner, a Utah trooper in front of his pregnant wife and because he wouldn’t sign a ticket? Massey won $40,000 plus court and medical expenses and Utah tourism is still DOWN. Gardner got a letter in his file, lots of alleged retraining for communication skills.
Did the Okie troopers have tasers or would they have shot the EMP with the inferences that more force was on the way?
Jones
It doesn’t sound like you have ever testified before.
Oh wait-are you teh cop troll? I guess you might be an expert at lying in court.
The cop in Oakland who said he thought he was pulling his TASER out and shot the unarmed cuffed guy on the ground wasn’t necessarily lying.
And I for one don’t think the cop should be fired based on whether or not he pulled the EMT out of the Ambulance by the arm. He never should have pulled it over in the first place. He should have started with the EMT’s supervisor.
Guy, of course your not going to read it again because you know it proves the EMT lied.
Is a “hot” ambulance an ambulance with lights and sirens on because they didn’t have them on. If “hot” means with patient how would the officer know it was “hot” until he pulled it over. I am not defending the officer’s decision to delay the ambulance once he realized their was a patient, he should have sent them on their way and dealt with it at the hospital.
Who cares who the woman was in the trooper car. Almost every department does civilian ride alongs, maybe it was a ride along, whats it matter?
The guy in Utah was tasered for resisting arrest not for refusing to sign a ticket. The driver wouldn’t sign it because he denied he was speeding yet he plead guilty to speeding. The tasering was justified, it was either that or fight with the guy on the side of the highway.
Pinandpuller – The cop in Oakland says he thought he was pulling his taser and I believe him based on his reaction on the tape. I don’t understand the comparison. Your talking about the officer’s state of mind in Oakland, video doesn’t record somebody’s state of mind. The EMT said he was grabbed and pulled out of the ambulance, the video shows that to be a lie.
From the YouTube comments:
“The officer that pulled the ambulance over is Daniel Martin badge number 606 to reach his captain 918-423-3636
Call the governor of oklahoma Brad Henry 405-521-2342″
Now, you won’t be talking to Governor Henry when you call that line obviously but he needs to know there is outrage about this.
Jones,
There’s an old saying.
There are 3 truth’s, my truth, your truth, and the truth.
It’s like the way that everyone who see’s a car accident see’s somewhat different things.
It occurs to me that if the Paramedic was going to purposefully lie, he would have
1. Done it better, and 2. Had a reason to do it.
The moment was quite stressful for all involved, and it is hard to remember things totally accurately in that situation.
I agree with you in a way Scott. It is hard to remember exactly what happens in a stressful situation. Remember that when your bashing cops for doing the same thing. Maybe he purposely lied to make himself look like more of a victim or make the cop look bad or maybe that is just how he remembers it happening.
Jones, since I belive that cop was making an unlawful arrest and interfering with an EMT I think he is lucky that 31 year emt veteran didn’t crush him into the ground.
You say potato…the trooper comes around to the back of the ambulance and goes off when the EMT says let’s get going jack and do this at the hospital. THEN he comes out and the pencil neck tries to put a lock on him.
Our rights per SCOTUS
“Per the legal rulings below, being upheld by SCOTUS, the officers should feel fortunante to be alive.
“When a person, being without fault, is in a place where he has a right to be, is violently assaulted, he may, without retreating, repel by force, and if, in the reasonable exercise of his right of self defense, his assailant is killed, he is justified.” Runyan v. State, 57 Ind. 80; Miller v. State, 74 Ind. 1.
“These principles apply as well to an officer attempting to make an arrest, who abuses his authority and transcends the bounds thereof by the use of unnecessary force and violence, as they do to a private individual who unlawfully uses such force and violence.” Jones v. State, 26 Tex. App. I; Beaverts v. State, 4 Tex. App. 1 75; Skidmore v. State, 43 Tex. 93, 903.
“An illegal arrest is an assault and battery. The person so attempted to be restrained of his liberty has the same right to use force in defending himself as he would in repelling any other assault and battery.” (State v. Robinson, 145 ME. 77, 72 ATL. 260).
Each person has the right to resist an unlawful arrest. In such a case, the person attempting the arrest stands in the position of a wrongdoer and may be resisted by the use of force, as in self- defense.” (State v. Mobley, 240 N.C. 476, 83 S.E. 2d 100).
“One may come to the aid of another being unlawfully arrested, just as he may where one is being assaulted, molested, raped or kidnapped. Thus it is not an offense to liberate one from the unlawful custody of an officer, even though he may have submitted to such custody, without resistance.” (Adams v. State, 121 Ga. 16, 48 S.E. 910).
And on the issue of actually killing an arresting officer in self defense:
“Citizens may resist unlawful arrest to the point of taking an arresting officer’s life if necessary.” Plummer v. State, 136 Ind. 306. This premise was upheld by the Supreme Court of the United States in the case: John Bad Elk v. U.S., 177 U.S. 529″
Wait, when was I cop bashing?
And I’m just saying it’s possible that it was an honest mistake. I’m not saying it necessarily is.
Scott – you said something that jones disagrees with. That in and of itself makes you a cop basher, a child molester, or both – didn’t you know that?
Yes, I do know, but I wanted to hear his reasoning from him. I think it will be amusing to see what he attempts to come up with.
Guy, thanks for the info, too bad this was a lawful arrest. The troopers say he assaulted them before the video tape started. Ofc’s are allowed to arrest somebody who assaults them. Again that is why the dashcam is going to be important. The EMT denies he assaulted the cop but his credibility is questionable because he said the trooper pulled him out of the ambulance by his arm when the video clearly shows that didn’t happen.
Kylie, what are you doing up, you should be in bed so you can get an early start on finding an artist for your kids to pose for.
Jones,
Wow I like the fact that you just totally and completely ignored me.
In response to your #83 post, your saying it was a lawful arrest, although we don’t know that it was a lawful arrest. Unless some evidence has been released that I am unaware of, such as the dashcam, you don’t really have any evidence that supports your claim. If you have some that I’m not aware of, by all means, post it.
The trooper said the EMT assaulted him that is why they were arresting him. That is a lawful arrest.
Was the trooper assaulted, we don’t know for sure because it wasn’t on camera but we do know this. There was some type of physical altercation between the two that wasn’t caught on camera because when the EMT exits the ambulance he immediately says to the other trooper that he wants to press charges against 606 for assault. If he claims he was assaulted then there must have been some type of contact between them that is not on the tape. We also know the EMT lied about being physically removed from the ambulance so that brings his credibility into question.
I still think this whole incident was ridiculous and don’t agree with pulling the ambulance over in the first place unless he was driving in a manner that posed a danger. I’m just not willing to give the EMT a free pass based on what I saw and read. Was the trooper wrong or the EMT or both, you can’t say just based on the short tape we have.
You’re trying to discredit the EMT because of one sentence? The cop lied about the reason for and necessity of the stop so his credibility is shot to hell as well.
Here’s what cops do. We’ve seen it before and we’ll see it again. Just wait, in a month or so we’ll see the exact same scenario. They must be teaching these steps at pig academies:
1) create an unnecessary bad situation 2) escalate the situation 3) lie and blame someone else 4) become violent 5) claim THEY are the victim.
#666
What is more “hypercritical” then taking an oath to protect and serve the public, accepting a salary for that task, and then doing the exact opposite? What does the badge mean to cops? It’s an excuse to mess with people and selectively enforce laws. We are not blind, this stupid pig cared about his ego and nothing else. Instead of calling him what he is you knit pick; you find the tiniest discrepancy and then use it to defend the worst of your profession. Your comments are an example of why people have no respect for cops. What exactly are you trying to accomplish? Are you trying to prove that only lowlifes become cops? That it’s always more important for some dumb cop to BE right then to DO the right thing?
“There was a time when I prided myself on the fact that I would ALWAYS stop if I saw a trooper that needed assistance but NOW I wouldn’t know who to assist. ”
Guy you are definitely on to something. Help a cop and they’ll make you pay.
A trained nurse, Rachelle Jackson immediately ran toward the sound of the crash. A Chicago police car had collided with another vehicle and was starting to smoke, two officers still inside. Fearing an explosion, she quickly pulled one officer from the passenger side.She never imagined her act of kindness nearly six years ago would land her in jail for more than 10 months on charges that she robbed, battered and disarmed a peace officer.
She was held for two days with little food and water and was threatened with violence until she agreed to sign a statement police had prepared for her.
She was then charged and spent more than 10 months in the Cook County Jail awaiting trial. Her case was later thrown out by a Circuit Court judge. “This was an innocent woman who saved a police officer from a burning car,” said Chris Smith, who tried the case with Dan Alexander. “There were many heroes out there who helped the police, but they all turned into suspects….
http://www.policecrimes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4132
Anonymous – You’re trying to discredit the EMT because of one sentence? The cop lied about the reason for and necessity of the stop so his credibility is shot to hell as well.
Your assuming the cop lied, we have video evidence that the EMT lied.
BTW I’m not defending the cop, if you read my previous post I think he handled the situation wrong. I’m simply pointing out that the EMT that you all put on a pedestal lied about a pretty important thing.
We have to assume that the cop lied. We need to get back to that sentiment in this country. It falls on the officer to prove that this arrest was lawful, not on the citizen.
Beyond that, his initial actions show intent.
Mark – Even if a person isn’t guilty of what they are being arrested for doesn’t mean the arrest isn’t lawful.
It’s up to the citizen, in this case the EMT, to prove he was assaulted by the officer. He claims he was assaulted prior to the camera rolling and the cop is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
“What you all don’t understand is that the welfare of the woman in the ambulance is not the issue. What is of utmost importance in this situation is that the officer’s ego be stroked, at all costs. An officer felt disrespected. I mean, what’s he supposed to do, just let it slide”
No, No, No, we can’t have that. I mean, who do you think you are to expect help when a GOD has been slighted? If your eye is gushing blood, if your relative is having a coronary; remember: the most important thing in ANY situation is the cops ego. And why shouldn’t it be? Any profession with so many members who end up in jail deserves the UPMOST respect at ALL TIMES.
This one is pretty funny. Remember it if you ever need a f****** ambulance: “he came out from the back and then arrested, put me in the back room and then arrested me. That’s right she was cuffed and cited for “disorderly conduct” and “abusing 9-1-1,” a charge that doesn’t even exist”
http://www.policecrimes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5330
This story is covered at Injustice Everywhere: http://www.kutv.com/content/news/topnews/story/Man-Arrested-After-Trying-to-Help-Motorcyclist/kop65phdxkO8uW4dG_yrRg.cspx
#89, er I mean # 666
I like how you responded to ONE point that I made and ignored the rest. NO we do not have “evidence” that the EMT lied. You conveniently ignore what others have already said; that he was probably speaking in slang / shorthand for “the cop forced me to exit the ambulance.”
Then, since your not done with your character assignation on somebody wronged by a cop; you state “he must prove he was assaulted” knowing full well there’s no tape for that time! Ha Ha prove what you can’t prove. Are you serious?
Why is so hard to admit that a cop did wrong and there are NO mitigating circumstances that justify it? You couldn’t say it any louder if you shouted it:
“We are above the law, We can do no wrong, if it looks like we did wrong then they are a a) liar b) bad person c) somehow at fault.”
Gimme a break. You’re only deluding yourself. Cops need to know that the hatred you put out there is coming back your way, with interest.
Anonymous – You conveniently ignore what others have already said; that he was probably speaking in slang / shorthand for “the cop forced me to exit the ambulance.”
Maybe you should read his statement before you comment on it. He said the cop grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the ambulance. So yes, we do have video evidence that he lied because, if you even bothered to watch the video, you see he exited the ambulance on his own.
I think that this is a very disconcerting situation. I am currently trainging to become a NY State EMT and God willing when I take the NY State test in two weeks, I will be a NY State EMT-B. I have ridden on the ambulance for quite a while now and usually officers are very helpful.
What disconcerts me here is two things.First, that an officer would even attempt to issue a citation to an ambulance with lights and sirens on (obvious signs that they’re responding to an emergency call) during the call. If the officer was that worried about the citation, he should have pursued to the hospital and then issued a summons to the driver, after proper transfer of patient care. Secondly, and more importantly, the fact that an officer of the law would be so enraged that he put not only the Paramedics life in danger, but the patients as well. Emergency vehicles are designed so as to promote the quickest possible care to people who need it when they need it. I’m not gonna dispute that both the officer and ambulance were on a call, but if you are that worried about getting to your police call, use the speaker that he apparently used to insult the driver to ask the ambulance to let you pass when you’re driving behind him. It’s ashame, because usually the police appreciate medical personell, and that one instance of an officer being inappropriate does give many officers a bad name, some of which are very good at their job and care only about the poeple. But police officers [like some EMT's, Paramedics (not faulting the medic here in any way), etc.] need to realize that when they are acting as an Officer, Paramedic, EMT, etc., that we are doing that job for the protection of other people and that first and foremost -providing the situation is safe- another humans’ well being is the only reason that these jobs are in effect. Anyway, I will be interested to see what the outcome is because that police officer, I dont care about any other circumstances barring the ambulance was careening out of control and endangering peoples lifes, should never have interupted the ambulance from getting to the hospital, its apalling.
I’ll leave this last word: think of it like this, no matter what the ambulance driver did that was so agregris (barring endangering the patient through absolute reckless driving) an officer pulling over an ambulance to issue a summons/citation just delays patient care. Transportation, especially rapid transport, to a hospital is considered an EMT/Paramedic intervention and delaying this transportation, even two minutes, can result in the patient dying due to lack of necessary care.
Kyle, the ambulance did not have it’s lights and sirens on. I’m just pointing that out, I still disagree with stopping an ambulance unless their driving is hazardous.
Jones, you said:
“Mark – Even if a person isn’t guilty of what they are being arrested for doesn’t mean the arrest isn’t lawful.
It’s up to the citizen, in this case the EMT, to prove he was assaulted by the officer. He claims he was assaulted prior to the camera rolling and the cop is presumed innocent until proven guilty.”
I agree with your first statement about it being a lawful arrest. I guess that I am curious why you allow the officer a “innocent until proven guilty” status without allowing the EMT. I can only assume it’s because of what you saw on the video. Make no mistake, the EMT has that status, as well.
I have been in several court rooms (various tickets, judicial reform stuff) where everyone involved needs to be reminded that our judicial system requires more than the accusation to convict. The truly sad thing is that police/prosecutors have become lazy and rely on corrupt judges to convict on accusation alone.
I assure you that there are ways to make this stop. Revealing my hand a little bit: there is nothing like throwing leans and criminal charges on some desks to help them remember just where priorities ought to be. On top of that, they get the extra added bonus of BAR grievances and judicial tenure complaints to remind them that “MARK WAS HERE”.
666, Yes I both read the statement and watched the video. See posts 73 & 77. Funny how just like a criminal, the cop is looking for that technicality. You keep harping on this to distract us from the real issue, which is summarized quite nicely by Klye here.
Anonymous – Funny how just like a criminal, the cop is looking for that technicality
Technicality, that is funny. You call it a technicality when the guy lies about being assaulted. If a cop lied about being assaulted you would want him thrown in prison.
The EMT claims two assaults, one of the alleged assaults occurred off camera. The second alleged assault occurred while the tape was rolling. The tape shows the second alleged assault never happened. That makes me question the first alleged assault.
If the officer did assault the EMT before the camera started rolling and gets away with it then EMT only has himself to blame because he is the one who destroyed his own credibility by making up a second assault that videotape evidence shows did not occur.
If you want to talk technicality’s the only evidence we have of any crime is against the EMT for filing a false police report if he did indeed attempt to press charges for the second alleged assault. Since assaulting an EMT in the course of his duty is a felony that would make filing a false police report of an EMT being assaulted during the course of his duty a felony.
Second that anonymous, Jones is trying to Jones this up and his credibility is the weakest here.
I would follow that EMT anywhere.
Let’s remember to show Carlos Miller at least some $5 love for his courage and this space. Thx!
AS A PARAMEDIC (GA)RETIRED, I WAS TRANSPORTING A PT FROM GA TO FL HOSPITAL(REHAB). AS WE ENTERED FL, OUTSIDE JACKSONVILLE, I NOTICE A POLICE
OFFICE(PLAIN CLOTH) IN A SQUAD CAR. HE WAS ABOUT 3 CAR BACK. HE WENT AROUND US AND GOT IN FRONT OF US. ABOUT 2 OR 3
MILES, HE LET US BY AND GOT IN BEHIND US. I TOLD MY PARTNER THAT HE WAS BEHIND US. AL OF SUDDEN, HE TURNED HIS LIGHTS AND SIRENS ON. AS HE EXITED HIS CAR, HE UNBUCKLED HIS HOSTLER AS HE WALKED TOWARD THE AMBULANCE. HE INFORMED THE DRIVER THAT HE WAS TAILGATING HIM, IN THE SLOW LANE. HE ALSO MENTION THAT FACT, THAT WE AS A PRIVATE EMS SERVICE HAD NO REGARDS FOR THE LAW. I INFORMED THE OFFICER WE HAD A TRACH PATIENT ON A VENT AND HAD TO GO. HE REALLY DID NOT LIKE THAT. HE LET US GO WITH A WARNING. THE DRIVER WAS NOT TAIL GATING HIM AND THE MOVE UNBUCKLING HIS HOSTLER WAS ODD.
Jones, you and I have clearly polar opposite ideas of what assault entails. I would wager if someone pushed you up against your vehicle and grabbed you by the throat that would qualify as “assault”, nevertheless, since this criminal is wearing a uniform no assault happened. I think you are prejudicial on the side of the police, which lets me know that you are part of the corrupt thinking that makes this behavior possible. If you want to get technical about it, the EMT was actually “battered” which involves actual “touching for intimidation or harm.”
The officer only grabbed him by the throat because he was arresting him and he was resisting so it was neither an assault or a battery.
Shouldn’t it be OBVIOUS by now that Jones is 13, in his underwear and blogging in his parents basement?
God Bless Tiny Tim and Jones’s everywhere:)
It took a 13 year old to catch the EMT’S lie when the rest of you couldn’t figure it out.
…
Frankly, I don’t give a rip about what any of them “SAID.” I care that an ambulance in transport was detained. (Nationwide people are outraged.) I don’t even care if someone “lied.” Which in this case I don’t believe, however, the most important component is that an emergency vehicle was stopped in an emergency situation, a person in distress in the back, and
instead of an escort to the hospital, this pitiful excuse for a public servant wants to have it out with the EMTs. ARREST AN EMT CARRYING OUT HIS JOB?? People who approve of this behavior and defend the police in this instance are difficult for me to comprehend.
Here’s the latest I’ve been able to find on this story.
http://newsok.com/oklahoma-highway-patrol-trooper-cites-gesture-in-report-on-scuffle/article/3374472
Thank you for pointing that out Jones, and you are correct I was mistaken that they ambulance was running an 18 on the call (lights and sirens). However, just because of the lack of lights and sirens, does not mean the ambulance was not running an emergency situation, it just meant that the paramedic felt that the patient was stable enough to not have to use the lights and sirens to go through lights, etc. The reason that this is done is basically for the protection of the patient and those on the road, because studies have shown that using lights and sirens and going through intersections, etc., has proven to be dangerous and has caused many accidents. Lights and sirens do offer a quicker chance at getting to the hospital, however, it becomes more dangerous because many people are confused by lights and sirens and this confusion or misconceptions does lead to incidents. However, I still believe that this was handled improperly, especially because all the officer had to do was inquire as to why the ambulance was in use. Lastly, I will say and I’ll post the link: http://www.mojvideo.com/video-reporter-dave-jordan-on-alex-jones-tv-with-jason-bermas-2-2-the-latest-on-the-emt-attack-by-police/511b1ec4dff2c574c5d1 , that there are reports that this officer has pulled other ambulances over. I will not comment on whether this is true or not as more information needs to be gathered.
Kyle, I understand the whole lights and sirens and people don’t know how to drive and get confused by them so sometimes it’s easier not to use them thing.
The reason I mentioned it is because it makes a big difference. Lights and sirens obvious emergency, no lights and sirens unknown if there is an emergency. As I said before, once the officer knew they were transporting a patient he should have just followed them to the hospital if he wanted to proceed but the initial stop is ok (depending on how it was driving) since he didn’t know they had a patient.
Honestly, I think my real problem with the traffic stop comes from the fact that the officer appears to have thrown reason out the window. With no lights and sirens, the officer does have the right to pull over the ambulance (as far as I know), however, to pull over anyone in such an erratic manner is, quite frankly, scary. I’m not even talking on how he acted during the stop, just in how he drove to pull the ambulance over. Yet, Jones, I will definately say not having lights and sirens on does change the intial circumstances.
Well, now from the story that Robert posted a link to, we have the cop (Martin) caught in a lie too. “Another scuffle ensued, and Martin said White grabbed him around the neck, refusing to let go. Martin said he applied a choke hold on White’s neck to release the grip.” But the video shows that White never grabbed Martin, around the neck or otherwise. On the contrary, Martin seems to have done all the grabbing in the second scuffle. So according to jones’ reasoning on White’s statement, that means that Martin’s credibility is gone and we can’t believe a word he says either.
After the altercation starts it is possible White grabbed Martin around the neck because the video goes off of them and you can’t see what is happening.
We also know that news articles are not always accurate so we don’t know if Martin actually made that allegation or if it’s just another sloppy article. White’s allegation came from his own written statement so we know he made that false claim.
I always give cops the benefit of the doubt but it looks like he was out of order here.
My guess is that (barring a pattern of crazyness from this officer) that the ambulance driver probably DID flip the cop off (see occam’s razor) but that still doesn’t excuse choking the driver. That is road rage -plain and simple – and cops have to no right to road rage without consequences.
If I was a juror I would probably rule for the ambulance driver and reccommend a nominal award ($10-20K). Where is my gavel…
Jones,
An opportunity to stretch your mind…
Have you ever left your house, then re-entered it? I imagine that this has happened… sometimes several times in a single day…
You have stated that the EMT stepped out of the ambulance (in the video) and immediately spoke to the other OHP about assault… Seems to me that he might be referring to being dragged out of the ambulance by his arm at the beginning of the stop. After which point he re-entered that ambulance (to check on the patient, perhaps?), then re-exited, under his own power, and spoke to the other cop about assault charges.
If he exited the ambulance more than once (not a stupendously unlikely scenario) then in all likelihood he is not lying… and all of the bluster about credibility goes away….
Addendum…
Before I get shish-kebabed here… a careful re-reading of the statement does not support the scenario I suggested… However i still attest to the fact that there is much happening while the family member with the cell cam is making his circuit of the scene… Just because it did not get captured does not mean that it did not happen… I really hope that the dah cam footage gets released
Here’s another updated article on this story, including links to a witness statement, as well as officer reports.
Sorry, forgot to paste the link in
http://www.newson6.com/Global/story.asp?S=10464730
Just FYI, the contact info for the Chief of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol is choffice@dps.state.ok.us…
Amongst their “core values” listed are:
LOYALTY
HONESTY
RESPECT
INTEGRITY
PROFESSIONALISM
SELF-DISCIPLINE
As a former EMT in NYS I can say several thing aas least as driving is concerned. First rear view mirrors are nearly useless in an ambulance, I used them to see where my partner was. this is important because even a slight sudden movement can send a standing medic flying and cause serious injury. Second, sometimes it’s a bad idea to use lights and sirens even with a seriously ill patient, because it increases stress in the patient. Third, make some noise, I had two radios to monitor, and a paramedic I’m taking instructions from, I just might not see you, put your sirens on so I HEAR YOU. Fourth and finally, if God forbid your parked Trooper Car get nailed by a drunk with you in it in Rural OK, there is a difference between adequate response time and gettin’ there to help a fellow public safety officer. You don’t pull the ambulance over for a MINOR infraction, you get my Ambulance no. and since you have me on your dash cam, you send me the ticket later. One thing I’d of done differently, and they might of done this, I’d radio for local police to come as well, because I or my partner probably know them by name, and they usually dislike the state police.
Police Fire and EMS should act like a team and in my experiences we did. That trooper let his adrenalin take over something you are trained not to do, that’s assuming you have had decent training. It’s an ambulance with a patient who requires advanced life support, this was truly the act of a poorly trained moron who regardless of the legalities of this particular incident shouldn’t have a badge.
And cops wonder why so many people dislike and will not trust them?
I also support Georgia Paramedic Hayden Barnes’s BOYCOTT of QuikTrips, ConocoPhillips, and Alamo and National Car Rental companies for us out of towners while we are
NOT driving through Oklahoma watching out for OHP without their sirens on running ambulances off the road on the way to stolen car reports and returning to illegally assault EMT.
(Bonus: don’t let your friends or neighbors attend Valdosta University in Georgia if they care about free speech and due process:)
This boycott could destroy Oklahoma, they may never recover. You’ll show them!
Guy – (Bonus: don’t let your friends or neighbors attend Valdosta University in Georgia if they care about free speech and due process:
Shouldn’t my friends and neighbors be free to attend whatever university they want.
Jones — Utah’s tourism hasn’t recovered from the officer who thought it would be fun to taser a driver who refused to sign a traffic ticket.
As far as your friends, they’re most likely free to attend whatever school they want, I’d recommend expressing that freedom by choosing carefully.
The Dave, saying recommend makes a little more sense. Guy said “don’t let” in the same sentence that he is advocating free speech, just seemed a little hypocritical to me.
The driver in Utah was tasered for resisting arrest and the tasering was totally justified. I do think the officer should have done a better job of talking to the driver and not letting it escalate.
With all due respect, I disagree. The motorist had no obligation to sign the ticket, all the officer needed to do was hand the ticket to the motorist, say “Have a nice day”, get back in his car and proceed.
The driver got $40,000 out of the deal too, the officer was suspended and sent for re-training, so I’d suggest that despite the official “officer was justified” ruling, the outcome speaks for itself.
Honestly if I had the choice, I’d probably let some good ‘ol boy from Utah taser me for $40,000 too…
Jones, I was talking about friend and neighbors and it is of course a choice.
I am quite kool with your kids attending Valdosta.
“I also support Georgia Paramedic Hayden Barnes’s BOYCOTT of QuikTrips, ConocoPhillips, and Alamo and National Car Rental companies for us out of towners while we are
NOT driving through Oklahoma watching out for OHP without their sirens on running ambulances off the road on the way to stolen car reports and returning to illegally assault EMT.
(Bonus: don’t let your friends or neighbors attend Valdosta University in Georgia if they care about free speech and due process:)”
Down with the Police State.
Well, after reading all of the above comments, I tend to believe the two eye witnesses to the event:
To Whom It May Concern:
On Sunday, May 24th, 2009, my cousin and I were coming back from the Paden Cemetery and came to Main Street. Before we got to the stop sign at 62 highway and Main Street, we saw an ambulance pass and as we got to the stop sign, we say a highway patrol pass. We turned on highway 62 going west and we saw the ambulance pulled over in front of the bank and the patrol car behind it. The officer was standing in our lane of 62 highway talking to the driver and we could not pass since they were in our lane. The other EMT was in the ambulance with the patient. He opened the door and was trying to talk to the officer. The officer then came around the ambulance shouting, “I’ll arrest you for obstruction of justice”, and the EMT stated, “Hey Man, we need to get her to the hospital, follow us there.” By this time the lady in the ambulance family were running to see about her, and the husband was pleading with the officer to get his wife to the hospital. The officer would not pay attention to them. He, the officer kept yelling at the EMT that he was going to arrest him and then the officer pushed the EMT against the ambulance and was going to handcuff him. The EMT Never tried to strike the patrolman, he kept his hands up as if protecting his face. Then the patrolman got the EMT in a head lock. We were horrified by the patrolman’s behavior. He have NO thought to the poor woman in the ambulance or her family. As the patrolman was trying to handcuff the EMT, another highway patrolman came up and began to try to calm the situation down and in our opinion the first highway patrolman acted very unprofessionally. The EMT’s were trying to do their jobs, and he was keeping them from getting that poor lady to the hospital. He was flat rude and hateful to the family. We felt both EMTs tried very hard to remain professional and wanted their patient to be cared for. That first highway patrolman should be ashamed of himself. The time wasted on his actions could have been the time that meant life or death for that lady. In our eyes, the EMTs did nothing wrong and were treated very badly. He should have to publicly apologize especially to the lady and the family as well as the EMTs who were only trying to do their jobs.
Sincerly,
Diana Walkup
Peggy Skaggs
These two ladies were just innocent IMPARTIAL by-standers.
According to the eye witnesses, the Paramedic was NOT the aggressor or the one who caused the whole thing.
Those two OHP officers should be fired–yesterday!!!
OHP HAS released without comment the 8 minute video, showing clearly that the trooper was the aggressor and the EMT professional throughout.
More updates: The female with the trooper was his wife. The trooper and his lawyer will be making a public statement on Monday.
Until Trooper Martin is disciplined/retrained and apologies issued from the Oklahoma Governor’s office to White, the patient and her family, I continue to support Georgia Paramedic Hayden Barnes’s BOYCOTT of QuikTrips, ConocoPhillips, and Alamo and National Car Rental companies for us out of towners while we are
NOT driving through Oklahoma watching out for OHP and their wives running ambulances off the road on the way to stolen car reports and returning to illegally assault EMT.
All life threatening emergencies trump any other. Since the officer did not mention his at all, you must assume it was not life threatening. The police should be charged for impeding an emergency vehicle without due cause. The run that the officer was making code 1 should be investigated to see if there was even a call. Police logs should show the call. All of the officers that touched the EMT should be charged with a felony just like a criminal would be charged. If an officer would have been in the ambulance heads would have rolled so treat these guys like anyone else. The ambulance was Code 2 Lights and Sirens they had right of way.
All I can say is – what would happend if the Governor or his mother was in that Ambulance?
Joe, the video from the trooper and his wife show that they HAD their siren on.
That doesn’t excuse the assault on the EMT’s.
OK -Please POST/REPOST
“Until Trooper Martin is disciplined/retrained and apologies issued from the Oklahoma Governor’s office to White, the patient and her family, I continue to support Georgia Paramedic Hayden Barnes’s BOYCOTT of QuikTrips, ConocoPhillips, and Alamo and National Car Rental companies for us out of towners while we are
NOT driving through Oklahoma watching out for OHP and their wives running ambulances off the road on the way to stolen car reports and returning to illegally assault EMT.”
I’d like you to consider this:
This OHP v. EMT incident has received national attention. YouTube has the incident footage rated as the #2 all-time viewed on the site. Fox News today (Sat. June 13th, 2009) has expressed outrage at the officer’s actions. As more Americans learn of the incident, more outrage and attention is being displayed. *** My point is this:
A window of opportunity has emerged for the EMS field.
If we can all take a moment to rise above the emotion of this incident, we can educate and sway the hearts and minds of Americans to the following points:
1. The patient’s safety and well-being was put at risk by the officer’s actions. As a medical professional, it was Medic White’s DUTY to ensure the patient’s care. When doctors or EMTs are restricted from this duty, we all are at risk.
2. Medic White’s words/actions/demeanor was and is absolutely flawless. It’s the officer who appears as the crazed maniac. By keeping a professional face, Medic White was able to show the world that EMS is a profession with the highest standards. This will most certainly affect the outcome of his case.
3. An EMT is an agent of the public’s safety. As with medical doctors, all citizens should be aware and support the duty of such EMS professionals when a medical incident arises. The image and reputation of the medical doctor continues to be regarded in a high manner, and we now have an opportunity to elevate EMS closer to that position.
Of course all of us have read incidents where an EMS professional failed to rise to the standards of the profession. Here we have a case where EMS has exceeded those standards. We need to announce this incident to the world. I hope Medic White is rewarded for his professionalism, but I further hope that EMS is rewarded for the high standards that most of us adhere to every day.
Please make sure you tell your friends and family about this incident. Medic White kept his professional demeanor under some of the most difficult circumstances.
It can only help our profession.
UPDATE: June 15th, 3pm: Trooper Martin’s attorney call Medic White “A DANGER TO THE COMMUNITY”:
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=12&articleid=20090615_12_0_OKLAHO620450&allcom=1#commentform
note the comments from concerned Oklahoma citizens.
A decent legal analysis video of it is here:
http://www.news9.com/Global/category.asp?C=116601&autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=3867116
I love the way the legal analyst basically says (paraphrasing here) that he believes the LEO broke several laws AND lied on his report but that OHP can handle it in a better manner, internally, than the criminal courts can.
THAT COP NEEDS FIRED! The way he reacted was absolutly unexceptable and inhumane. You give someone a little bit of authority and they ruin it for themselves.
This is on nationwide news and gives ALL Oklahoma Highway Patrol a bad name and a black eye. The best thing that could be done for all concerned would be for the OHP officer to be relieved of his duties except for desk work pending a full psychiatric investigation. The officer has temper issues and has no right holding the position of authority he does if he is going to abuse it in that manner.
I think that Medic White deserves a commendation for acting in a calm manner when responding to someone acting like a rabid dog.
Guy Bertram , The video was after the officer pastsed the Ambulance (the event) picked up his wife and turned on his siren then pulled the Ambulance over. The EMT said that the officer did not have his siren on. The officer used his loud speaker to tell the EMT driver to use his rear view mirror. Then the EMT raised both of his hands in a what can I do gesture. Did I miss something?
This is completely deplorable behavior on the behalf of the officer – he is a disgrace to the uniform! Putting someone’s life in jeopardy to merely prove a point is unconscionable. This is a blatant example of abusing authority. Inaction from his superiors would surely show that their department condones such behavior and finds such practice as “status quo”! One can only hope that the paramedic he abused responds to a call where this officer is in need of emergency medical care and he (the paramedic) reciprocates the favor!!!
Fire the jerk and let him try to find a job, or make him drive a desk. I hope the PD gets sued so this crap never happens again.
I could not believe my eyes and ears when I saw this tape on the news. #606 – OHP Martin needs to be relieved of duty immediately and subjected to psychiatric testing, as well as testing for anabolic steroids, alcohol, and drugs. The man obviously is unfit for duty.
EMT White deserves a commendation for his professionalism and restraint under dire duress.
The OHP Commandant needs to review its policies and procedures regarding interfering with the transport of EMS vehicles and patients…and the law! A retraining for its corps would be in order, I think, if what occurred in this instance is current standard operating procedure.
I will be following the outcome of this event to see if Oklahoma allows this sort of travesty to continue, unreproached.
Obviously this officer needs to be handed the full extent of the law. They are an emergency team and this officer lost sight of that. If a felony is the charge for assaulting a paramedic, then that is what this officer should get. He is a disgrace to his badge and any other emergency worker.
Hey, anonymous, I’m embarrassed you are an American, too. Those of us who are proud Americans know that you don’t spell America with a K. You should go to North Korea or China then. I’m sure you’ll love their police forces much better! Maybe Iran is more your speed.
While the cop went too far and should be fired, it sure didn’t sound to me like the ambulance had a huge ‘emergency’ on it’s hands. Momma in the back sure was able to make comments and add her yelling to the confusion.
Everyone yelling racism should get a grip. The idiot cop was yelling and threatening the white driver just as much as the ‘obstructing’ EMT.
Thanks for listing all the Numbers, This morning I called the Gov’s office (they said it wasn’t their problem) the Public Safety office (405-425-2424) was transferred to a recep for the Highway Patrol who wanted my name and number and said “Someone may call you back, if they feel like it” and hung up, and the Oklahoma FBI office (since the obvious corruption of the state agencies assures no proper action would be taken, I thought I’d at least try them) The answering person was very snide and told me it wasn’t any of my business what they did in Oklahoma….
Yeah, I really feel this will be handled correctly and with diligence….. **sarcasm**
A splendid example of america’s finest doing what they do best. it’s a pity the ambulance driver wasn’t arrested, I’d love to see that dumbass cop explain his way out of a felony conviction…
After watching the longer tape isn’t it obvious the trooper was running HOT to pick up his wife and THEN he went back to assault the EMP’s?
Anon, I really believe that petitions and phone calls are a waste of time unless they are to Oklahoma businesses who can pressure the govenor.
OK -Please POST/REPOST
“Until Trooper Martin is disciplined/retrained and apologies issued from the Oklahoma Governor’s office to White, the patient and her family, I continue to support Georgia Paramedic Hayden Barnes’s BOYCOTT of QuikTrips, ConocoPhillips, and Alamo and National Car Rental companies for us out of towners while we are
NOT driving through Oklahoma watching out for OHP and their wives running ambulances off the road on the way to stolen car reports (picking up their wives) and returning to illegally assault EMT.”
How is it in reading so many of the comments posted on this blog, noone has been as upset as I was at the amatuerish bias spin on this report? The video evidence speaks clearly enough for itself. Why demean it with this bullshit post full of weighted and inflamitory phrasing?
If the author is a skilled writer, than he’s aware of what he is doing… Just like a Rush Limbaugh or Jon Stewart. If all of the accusatory phrasing was simply accidental, then he’s simply a shit writer.
In the end this is a very offensive act, as anyone can see. However an author trying SO FUCKING HARD to portray the incident only in a light which favors his personal opinion demeans the value of it all. It pulls the focus away from the acts we’ve seen towards an opinion for or against his stance on the video.
Learn to be unbiased you stupid fuck and let truth speak for itself next time.
… Fucking amateurs.
Did anybody notice on the full video that in his rage to stop the ambulance the trooper ran a stop sign next the gas station. Looks like the trooper feels that he is above the traffic rules that he is paid to enforce.
Tim,
Virtually all police officers believe they’re above traffic laws whether acting in an official capacity or not at the time, and lets face it, unless another officer plans on enforcing laws, they’re pretty much right.
the asshole should be fired.he put his self importance against an ambulance with a possible heart attack paient.Who does he think he is,I’ll; tell you,he thinks he is above all .Grabbing the guy around the neck is an assault.Persosally I would sue this self bosting asshole.Cops like him we will never need
I say everybody boycott Oklahoma till this guy is fired. In this country money talks if Oklahomas airports report a major drop in incoming flights, or passengers on these fights. I bet they will listen then.
Doesn’t matter, if he just showed the video and didn’t put in his 2 cents then how would his readers know what to think?
shaved heads, sunglasses and fat rear end from eating too many pizzas..AmeriKa’s finest police.
What an absolute disgrace..
Please see link to view a photo trooper Daniel Martin.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/37261633@N08/3634912675/
I cant even respond to this. These cops are for sure redneck hillbilly bastards. I come form a redneck state, but come on this is stupid. I hope they get their badges pulled.
Shocking Sarah, but art IS in the eye of the beholder and in that regard I would like to point out that THAT art is much too TALL to depict OHP Martin and his wife.
OK -Please POST/REPOST- PRESSURE the OK Governor for apologies and retraining for the trooper AND his wife.
“Until Trooper Martin is disciplined/retrained and apologies issued from the Oklahoma Governor’s office to White, the patient and her family, I continue to support Georgia Paramedic Hayden Barnes’s BOYCOTT of QuikTrips, ConocoPhillips, and Alamo and National Car Rental companies for us out of towners while we are
NOT driving through Oklahoma watching out for OHP and their wives running ambulances off the road on the way to 20 second stolen car reports (picking up his wife?) and returning to illegally assault EMTs.”
That racist bastard should be fired. Fuck him n da whole OHP. I’m pretty sure if it would have been his country ass mother in the ambulance, there would have been no problem. You can’t pick and choose when it’s ok. Someone’s life is at stake and that’s what’s most important. To the Paramedics, keep your leads up and GOD bless. Good luck with everything and hopefully it turns out god for you guys. From one EMS personnel to another.
Like the EMT said, it is a Federal offense to obstruct an EMT while en route to a hospital with a patient. Both cops there should not only be removed from duty, they should be thrown in Federal prison for 3-5. You can be sure if the EMT put the cop in a choke hold he would be dead now. The fact one of the cops said he wanted to shoot the EMT is even worse – even if he did flip him off, you don’t go fuking shooting someone for it. That cop is a danger to the public and should be at the very least in psychological detainment.
Most cops in my experience are pretty good guys, it’s a shame that assholes like these have to ruin the public perception.
After reading the EMT’s report, some claim that the EMT made less than factual statements about being pulled from the ambulance by the trooper. If you read his statement again and watch both the police vehicle’s dash cam along with the patient’s son’s video, you will see that just as the EMT writes in his statement, he initially left the vehicle on his own accord along with the driver upon being pulled over, and later in the altercation, as shown in the family member’s video, he was pulled from the ambulance while trying to return to the vehicle to attend to the reasonably disconcerted patient. Both in fact are true. They both happened during this unfortunate incident. The EMT does not lie. Thank you, Mr. White for truly filling the shoes you stepped into when you became a paramedic and for being so great at your job! You stayed calm, focused on your patient, and you never resorted to brute physicality even when it was done to you, even when it is clear you have the physique to capably defend yourself. You seemed only to continually want to defuse the situation with proper communication no matter how chaotic it became around you. Simply put, you are a class act.
Here are some contradictions I found between the EMT’s statement and the video.
#1 – He claims the officer did not have his siren, this would give an excuse to why the driver didn’t see him but the tape proves the siren was on.
#2 – He claims the officer got within 3 feet of the ambulance, this would suggest the officer was driving carelessly but the tape shows that did not happen.
#3 – He claims the officer made a remark over the radio when he passed him. I hear the siren on the tape and some radio traffic but you don’t hear the trooper say anything as he passes the ambulance. I don’t know how their system is set up so whether or not that would be picked up by the camera I don’t know, maybe he said it, maybe he didn’t.
#4 – He says when the trooper came up the second time he was running lights and sirens which again the tape shows is untrue.
#5 -He claims as they were pulling over the trooper pulled up next to them and motioned for them to pull over, again the tape proves this to be false
#6 -He claims he exited because he thought the woman in the police car was in need of medical attention but the tape shows he never even acknowledges she is there
#7 – He claims the officer greets the driver with “get your ass back here”, again untrue.
#8 – He claims after the loud knock on the ambulance door he was told he was under arrest. He then claims he was pulled out of the ambulance by the arm after informing the officers they had a patient. The tape clearly shows he exited the ambulance on his own and reported to the second officer that he had been assaulted. That is when they try to arrest him. When he claims he was pulled out by his arm he was not referring to trying to get back into the ambulance after the fight started as some of you seem to think. I’m pretty sure he wrote his report in chronological order.
Second that SmashedPenney,
“Thank you, Mr. White for truly filling the shoes you stepped into when you became a paramedic and for being so great at your job! You stayed calm, focused on your patient, and you never resorted to brute physicality even when it was done to you, even when it is clear you have the physique to capably defend yourself. You seemed only to continually want to defuse the situation with proper communication no matter how chaotic it became around you. Simply put, you are a class act.”
OK -Please POST/REPOST
PRESSURE the OK Governor for apologies and retraining for the trooper AND his wife.
“Until Trooper Martin is disciplined/retrained and apologies issued from the Oklahoma Governor’s office to White, the patient and her family, I continue to support Georgia Paramedic Hayden Barnes’s BOYCOTT of QuikTrips, ConocoPhillips, and Alamo and National Car Rental companies for us out of towners while we are
NOT driving through Oklahoma watching out for OHP and their wives running ambulances off the road on the way to 20 second stolen car reports (picking up his wife?) and returning to illegally assault EMP.”
jones @ 161 –
#1 – The EMT was not necessarily lying about it, he may have simply mistakenly believed that the officer was running without siren because he didn’t hear it. Or (more likely) he misremembered which of the two times that the trooper came up behind him was the time he had the siren on and which time he had it off.
#2 – He did not say the officer got within 3 feet. He said “The patrol car approached at such a high rate of speed…that he…was only a few feet from the rear of our unit…” The video clearly shows the trooper approaching at a high rate of speed to within less than 10 feet before he started pulling to the left, at the same time that the ambulance started pulling to the right. I would say that most people would consider that “a few feet”.
#3 – At approximately 13:56:21 on the dashcam video, the officer can be heard to say “I think you guys rear view mirror.” Granted this was approximately six seconds after the officer returned to the right hand lane from passing the ambulance, but I think that is sufficiently close to “as the trooper passed” as to be considered truthful to most people.
#4 – see #1 about siren.
#5 – You are correct, the trooper did not pull “alongside” the ambulance. However, it is impossible to ascertain from the video available whether or not the trooper motioned for the ambulance to pull over.
#6 – You are correct, he never directly acknowledges the woman in the car. He does however ask “what is the problem, what’s going on?” which neither proves nor disproves his statement about why he got out.
#7 – You are correct, the trooper didn’t say “get your ass back here”. But he did say “Now! HERE, NOW!” presumably while gesturing. This does not mean the EMT was lying. He may have misremembered.
#8 – The tape does *not* “clearly show” that he exited on his own, as both he and the trooper’s hand are off camera at the time. Now, I will grant that it *appears* that he *might* exit on his own, but it is not clear, and there is a possibility that the trooper pulled him by the arm initially.
Now, since you seem to be hung up on inconsistencies between the video and the written statements, why didn’t you give us a list of the inconsistencies with the trooper’s statement as well? Is it because then you might have to face the fact that the trooper is not 100% truthful, good and right?
This just goes to show you that cosp think their gods and can do whatever the hell they want and get away with it. I hope he not only gets fired but gets a lawsuit slapped in his face!!!
1
Jones, you didn’t explain why you insist on pointing out the EMT’s discrepencies, instead of the cops. Which there were discrepencies in the cops statement compared with the tapes as well. Your own credibility is weakening
DDP, I posted my reason under the other article
DDP, would you please point out the lies in the troopers statement for me, if you can?
OK!!!!!!! every one
1. if there is a patient in the rig sorry ambulance it is a priority to bring the patient to the hospital. regardless if the truck has lights and siren. the EMTs were probly doing a transfer from one hospital to another. a ambulance only goes in “HOT” if it is a code or for those who are not in the EMS field if the patient is DIEING!!!
2. the EMT on board was a Critical care Paramedic and for how many years like 22-23 his only thought was to get that patient to the hospital. the paramedic didn’t assault the trooper WTF did you get that info from people and if so show me the evidence. being a firefighter i actually have the experience. in the videos i’ve seen the trooper pins the paramedic against the truck automatic felony assault. you can’t prevent a EMS care provider from doing there job. and the only time i saw this paramedic do anything was trying to explain to the trooper that he had a patient and what happened the trooper began to argue with the medic.
3. this paramedic wasn’t just any medic on the job he was a veteran EMT-P and is highly known in OK for his work in the back of the ambulance.
4. when your in the ambulance it is a almost soundproof from the outside you have the heart monitor the emergency radio and it was a older ambulance so that diesel engine was probly just a roaring. and from the dash cam that trooper was too close to the back of the truck with that big box the vision is obscured from the back.
In the article the partner of the paramedic the driver had added to the letter to the director of creek nation EMS that when the trooper had talked to him at the hospital he said the he had almost removed his weapon on the paramedic. ok this isn’t a free for all were talking about a out of wack state trooper the didnt even radio to the ambulance to ask if there was a patient on board before pulling them over. there was no reason to pull over the ambulance the ambulance wasn’t speeding. and even if the trooper used the radio they were in another county they probly didnt have the troopers same radio frequency and the hosipital was in the next town they were probly also doing a call in to the hospital via radio. again loud in the ambulance to prevent the sound of the siren from the trooper.
any one that disagrees with me or agrees with me feel free to post over me
Maine,
1- I agree, getting the patient to the hospital is a priority, the officer didn’t know they had a patient and nobody told him they had a patient until things already started to escalate. I think the first words out of the EMT’smouth should have been we are taking a patient to the hospital, instead of arguing with the trooper over how he was talking to the driver and then bringing up the patient once things started to escalate. Once the trooper knew there was a patient he should have sent them on their way.
4- Yes, it is harder to hear inside an ambulance but you wouldn’t have a problem hearing a police siren when the car is just “3 feet” from your bumper as the EMT claims. Besides, he claims he didn’t hear it the first time, when video shows it was on, but he heard it the second time when the video shows it wasn’t on.
Jones – your statment for 1 – is WRONG.
The EMT which the officer assaulted stated at the very beginning that he had a patient in the vehicle that needed to go to the hospital. The officer ignored it even after it was repeated SEVERAL times. You should watch the dash cam video again. You seem to be ignoring blatant violations on the officer’s part.
And just so it’s said, the officer did pull up too close to the ambulance. EVERYONE knows if you can’t see their side view mirrors then they cannot see you. I watched the dash cam video several times. I could not see the ambulance’s mirrors, so they could not see the officer.
Watch the dashcam people. The officer was moving at a high rate of speed. The driver of the ambulance stated, at one point, that he thought he saw a police vehicle in his mirror. By the time he realized that the officer was behind him he pulled over. Before pulling over, he passed the car that was in front of him. I think what he did was appropriate, and the officer was over zealous and showing off for who ever was with him. He needs to be properly reprimanded. The medic did what he was supposed to do.
DDP, the EMT in the back doesn’t mention the patient to the trooper until the driver mentions the patient. It took almost 30 seconds for either one to mention the patient. If he was so concerned about the patient I don’t understand why he argues with the cop about the way the cop is talking before mentioning the patient. If you read my comments I have stated, several times, once the EMT told him they had a patient the officer should have let them go so I’m not ignoring the cop was also wrong in this.
If he was too close for the EMT’s to see him then how could the EMT claim he saw him get within 3 feet. You can’t get much closer then 3 feet. If your saying they couldn’t see him because he was too close then the EMT lied about how close he was because he obviously saw him and if he was only 3 feet away your saying they couldn’t have seen him.
The driver could not see him, but the EMT who was in the back of the ambulance could, and when he saw the officer he told the driver to pull over.
So your saying he wasn’t too close to be seen, I’m glad we agree.
I know you’re not this dense, so stop acting like you are.
He was too close to be seen by the driver in the side view mirrors. He could be seen through the small window at the back of the ambulance.
Stop acting like a child. I mean, unless you want to be treated like one. I could break this down into itty bitty steps for you to understand…
Jones,
He was too close to be seen *by the driver*
It is dumb luck if the paramedic who was treating the patient happened to glance out the back window and notice the officer.
You know he didn’t drop out of the sky right? He came up behind the ambulance, with his lights and sirens. I would agree three feet is to close, too bad the tape shows that was a lie.
I don’t think it was dumb luck, I think the lights and siren got the EMT’s attention, although according to the EMT he didn’t have his siren on, but the tape shows he did.
The tape shows that the side view mirrors were not visible, if you can see the mirrors, the driver can’t see you using the mirrors.
While the cop would have had to approach from somewhere, assuming the ambulance driver was paying attention to his driving, he may well not have glanced in his mirrors in those particular moments.
I hope he was paying attention to his driving, if he wasn’t isn’t that his fault?
The issue isn’t whether or not they saw him because they admit they saw him they just couldn’t pull over right away because of the car in front of them.
The bottom line is the cop and the EMT are both to blame. They both made bad decisions.
I was just simply pointing out the numerous contradictions between the EMT’s report and the tape. I haven’t heard any contradiction’s between what the cop said and the tape.
I think I’m done talking about this, this is getting old, I’m going fishing.
The police officer should have a better memory, since he’s required to recite details of events in court, the paramedic has no such requirement.
Have you ever driven an ambulance, or been in one? If you have the opportunity, talk to an ambulance driver about what it’s like driving one. Drivers tend to act very stupid around emergency vehicles, and with next to no visibility behind the ambulance anyway, it’s very unlikely that he’ll spend much or any time looking behind him unless he’s about to do a lane change.
Regardless of whether or not the police officer or the ambulance driver made a mistake or even lied in their statements, the fact is that the officer had no need to pull the ambulance over in the first place, and illegally detained the paramedics from the point where the officer was informed that the paramedics were already dealing with a medical emergency.
The only legally permissible response on the part of the police officer, once being informed of the existing emergency, is to release the paramedics (and if necessary, accompany them to the hospital to place them under arrest or issue citations or whatever else is necessary at that time), and had the officer done his legally mandated duty, we wouldn’t be having this discussion.
Add to that the fact that the paramedics didn’t actually violate the law, which makes the entire traffic stop unnecessary in the first place,
N
First of all, the trooper was responding to an office needing assistance pursuing a stolen car.
Second, the ambulance was NOT running lights and sirens.
The trooper was responding to assist a fellow officer when he came across the ambulance. Soon after passing the ambulance he was notified that the pursuit had terminated. He then had the time AND right to return to the ambulance for their traffic violation.
The paramedic in the back that caused all the problems could have easily returned to his patient and all of this would have been avoided. If he would have been truly interested in his patient’s well being he would have kept his mouth shut, returned to the box and waited.
Now, the patient was bad enough to transport her to the hospital. But she was stable enough to run code 2 which means no lights, no sirens. When running code 2 the driver must follow all normal traffic laws. Period. They must drive the posted speed limit, stop at all stop signs and stop lights, and yield to other emergency vehicles! The driver of an ambulance is just that; the driver. His job is to make sure that truck makes it to the hospital in a safe manner and the patient is delivered.
How can anyone say there was no violation here? The sames laws that apply to ordinary citizens apply to police, fire, and ems when not running an emergency situation. If the ems crew had determined the patient was critical enough to justify ignoring state laws they should have upgraded to code 3, hit the lights and siren, and done things the legal way. Who in the hell thinks that the driver of ANY vehicle doesn’t have time to check his mirrors?!?! That is just stupid. That is like saying he doesn’t have to keep his hands on the wheel just because he is transporting a patient. That patient makes it even more important to observe all road conditions-in front, to the sides, and behind them!
Was this handled correctly? No. But it was not done right on either side. The trooper gave plenty of warning for the medic to get back into the truck. Most cops I know would have lost their cool after the second warning.
Personally, I would have called for a second ambulance, cited the driver and hauled the medic off to jail once the patient was safely on board the back-up box. I am a retired fire fighter and EMT. Even when running emergency calls, we were only allowed to drive 10 miles per hour over the posted speed limit.
In this day and age of everyone seeing dollar signs in every situation this was a lawsuit waiting to happen. The medic had a lawyer the very next day!! The medic acted like a jerk, broke the law, ignored an officers orders, and will now be compensated for it. Where’s the justice in that?
The officer who was a little cooler headed has had death threats to him and his family. What kind of idiots are willing to threaten the lives of children?
This is NOT an issue of race. There was never any racial slurs being thrown around by the officer. The medic acted like a jerk and would have done so regardless of skin color. The trooper lost his cool and would have done so regardless. It should have never been any more than an issue of traffic violations. If the medic had been white the news stations would have been done with this. When is everyone going to get fed up with everything always turning into a race thing? If you are an ass it doesn’t matter if you’re white, black, brown, purple or green-you’re still an ass!
In this case, they were both acting like an ass. I live in Oklahoma and support our state police. As a retired fire fighter and EMT, I usually support ambulance crews as they are doing a very important job for very little pay. Not in this case. There were too many violations by the crew. I stand behind the officer on this one.
If the ambulance had such a dyer “emergency”, why wasn’t he running code, that would have really helped to defuse this problem? I am not saying the officer is all correct. Where I live if there really is an “emergency” that the EMT’s are handling they run code to the hospital. If you are not running code you are still to obey laws. The video if you listen does show the trooper approaching with a siren, as for the radio remarks I could hear radio traffic, Martin may have indeed said something. Now at the stop, white should have kept his behind in the back of the medic unit, this would have saved a lot of time and avoided a mess. While yes the trooper seemed to have an “issue” with the driver when he got out, White had an “issue” when he got out. Look at the EMTs’ body language and you will see he was pissed that martin had the audacity to tell him he was wrong. I have learned myself that having an attitude with an officer does not help a situation. Also when a trooper tells me to get in the vehicle… I do it.
I agree with jim @ 183 they were both acting like an ass. Both deserve equal punishment by their employers for violations. In this case however, I do side with the trooper he had the right to initiate the stop, the ambulance not running code failed to yield.
Hey whats the latest with this? Anyone know? Have heard anything in quite awhile
First off this is the first time I have heard of this, next I have been a medic for 8 years in Texas. I do not know the laws in the state which this happend and so forth, but when it come to EMS it is preaty stright across the board nation wide. I have seem some comments about “if it was a real emergency why didn’t they use lights and so forth”. Well from my from my professional medical experience and yes I said “Professional” we are trained to treat and “keep” a medical emergency from escalating into a bigger medical emergency. I will explain. When some one call’s EMS they feel they are having a problem, they get scared heart rate, blood pressure, and respirations will elevate. From what I gather this person was having a “heat stress” emergency, which if not put in check could lead to a “heat stroke” which will turn into “death”. One of the symptoms of “heat stress” if elevated blood pressure, and rapid heart rate. I do not know the age or medical history of this patient, which if she already had HTN, or some underlining heart condition with in conjunction with the “heat stress”, and the symptoms could have lead to a far much worse medical emergency. So us as “Professional” Medics are trained to keep this from happening and recognize the signs if they do. One of the “Treatments” is to keep the patient calm. One way we will do that is if, we can maintain this person in a stable condition we will not run “emergency traffic” because we all know because we do it every day, when some one here’s the sirens and see the lights we get excited. Now the patient will get excited thinking “well, I trust this guy to come and get me, and to save my life, so if he is using emergency traffic he thinks something is wrong with me. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME? Do you understand what I am saying? Minimize what is already going on with the medical emergency. Now that officer if he would have thought at the time that this ambulance was in danger to him, themselves, or others he would have taken corrective actions right then and there. But instead as he passed the ambulance “which he should have had the snap to know, when you see one person in the front then the odds are good the other is in the back, and I’m sure he is not baking a cake” to respond to a situation that the “county” police were already handling who have had the same training as him I’m sure, and from the video under control. The ambulance passed by and he needed to get “his” in because he was unable to be of help to county. He pulls over the ambulance. Now I understand the paramedic should have chosen his words different but, and I say “BUT” I’m sure the medic who thought there was an actual problem was kind of shocked to see his driver was being threatened with a citation because the offer felt his situation was a little bit more important. Now if that was me and I was in my state I would have instructed my driver not to stop for this officer, got on the radio and notified dispatch and have them notify “highway” of the situation and we will deal with it after patient care is transferred over to the ER staff, however in the manor which this officer handled himself made me sick. I would hope this officer is aware that is he was to get injured in the line of duty dealing with real “criminals” it would be that paramedic who he grabbed by the neck his job to make sure he made it to the hospital not bleeding to death, going into shock, cardiac arrest, respiratory arrest, ect. WOW we are “PROFESSIONALY” trained to handle that kind of thing. So when that cop says you don’t “piss off the police” P.O.P just remembers there is always two sides “don’t piss of the Paramedic.”
As far as the whole rear view mirror issue. If the guy who commented on # 183 was a retired Firefighter/EMT I would like him to show me one engine or type 1 ambulance that you can use the rear view mirror, most of them come with out them because they are useless, you can not “SEE OUT THE REAR, not to metion the window stickers on the back doors to keep the public from seeing something they don’t need too. It is also a state LAW for vehicles to stay back 500ft. of the vehicle at ALL times, clearly marked, which in the highway dash cam did not happen. Further more, the whole running code thing, refer to the above “PROFESSIONAL OPINION” used as a nation wide corse of treatment above. The situation had nothing to do with speeding according to video, and if looked at again from the officer dash cam you can see when the officer gets right behind the ambulance not 2 seconds later in the right hand lane was a stopped white car, and i’m sure that highway was not rated at a 40 mph speed limit. Pay carful attention when the officer goes to pass and the driver is able to see him in his side view the ambulance dose merge to the far right.