OK Highway Patrolman chokes paramedic because ambulance didn't yield (transporting, live)

[_redbird_]

Oklahoma Highway Patrol releases scuffle video

http://newsok.com/oklahoma-highway-p...rticle/3377506

[Boxcar Overkill]

The Highway Patrol, once the elite law enforcement agency in Oklahoma, has spiraled out of control due to a failure of leadership. (Unrelated to this video, however.)

[J.Galt]

I have read a number of the comments concerning the cop vs. medic in OKC. A large number of people seem to think that if you are not running with lights and sirens, then you are treated like all other cars or trucks. This is not the case. First off, different vehicles are viewed differently by law enforcement and the public in general. School busses and postal trucks are good examples of this. Now to the meat of this matter; running hot. I have worked as a paramedic for over five years. It is a great misconception that emergency medicine is not happening in an ambulance when the lights and sirens are not on. In fact, I would say up to 80% of emergency medicine is done with the lights and sirens off. It has been proven time and again that "running hot" really saves little time, and a paramdic has a broad field of play in order to accomplish a lot of tasks which will aid in reducing time on arrival to the most important aspect of the entire EMS system, which is the chain of care. Medics are just one of the links of this chain, and when the patient arrives at the ER the next link of that chain takes over. When the ER has stabalized the patient, then another chain of professionals takes over, ect...until the patient, hopefully, goes home.
Furthermore, there are a number of procedures that can, and are done en-route to the ER that are too delicate to do while flying down the road whith sirens blaring. The EKG, delicate IV's, medication administrations and lung sounds are all procedures that fall into this category, not to mention the fact that many patients DO NOT DO WELL WITH STRESS!!! It is often best to keep them calm! Now the legality of it: It is a felony for anyone other than a doctor to interfere with the care of a patient under a paramedics care. It does not matter if you are a cop, a judge, laywer or president. Secondly, if a paramedic leaves his patient without another person that is as qualified of more qualified than he is, he can go to jail and loose every penny he has, and will EVER have in his entire life; oh, and loose his liscence.
I just wanted people to see this from a paramedics point of view, and note that the emergent call the cop was risking lives on the road for was for a stolen car that already had the situation under control. A car; since when is a car more important than a human soul scared ****less in the back of an ambulance? I am really wondering what is happening to people? How can they accept this kind of behaviour from public officials? It is a sad day in our world to see people actually support this kind of behaviour by someone carrying a firearm!

[Goodpasture]

Mr/Ms Galt, I concur 110% with your position. I feel that if anything, the cop should have assisted in the delivery of the EMT to the ER. It could save a lot of minutes had the cop, after discovering what was going on, offered to run interference for the ambulance. I haven't chimed in on this topic at this time, because I understand that there can be more than is told in the original story. But frankly, the cop should lose HIS job and be required to attend anger management classes. There is no excuse for a first responding safety official to act in such a reprehensible manner. If personal problems were causing him problems, he should have taken leave, sorted things out, and returned to his job capable of being impartial and not letting his personal feelings interfere with his judgement. Judgement is probably the most important characteristic of a police officer. This man proves he had none.

[Wicked Felina]

Originally Posted by stiffnecked

This trooper is obviously performing the modified Heimlich maneuver on this gentleman that is in acute distress. You can see from the picture that the paramedic is pointing up with his finger. This indicates to the Trooper that the obstruction in his trachea is much higher than normal. As everyone knows this calls for grabbing the patients trachea and applying a forceful upward motion to relieve the obstruction. This Trooper should be given a medal for saving this mans life.

If I even need a defense attorney, I want it to be you!

Don't know anything about OHP, but both of the ambu driver and the officer seemed out of control. Responsibility goes on the officer, imo...it's his job to maintain control, not lose it.

I don't know whether he should be fired or not, but his conduct was very unprofessional and out of proportion to the situation. He could've easily let the ambulance continue to the hospital and dealt with the driver there. A patient's safety and health take precedence over him (the officer) getting his drawers in a knot because somebody talked back to him...

[LadyRobyn]

Originally Posted by J.Galt

Now the legality of it: It is a felony for anyone other than a doctor to interfere with the care of a patient under a paramedics care. It does not matter if you are a cop, a judge, laywer or president. Secondly, if a paramedic leaves his patient without another person that is as qualified of more qualified than he is, he can go to jail and loose every penny he has, and will EVER have in his entire life; oh, and loose his liscence.

I appreciate your viewpoint. Personally after watching BOTH videos, and reading the statements from all parties involved I think that MAJOR mistakes were made by ALL parties...

I have bolded the part of your post I have a question about...

Did you watch the dash-cam footage from the Patrol car?? The Paramedic exits the bus (Leaving the patient ALONE) right after it is pulled over to place himself BETWEEN the Trooper and the Ambulance driver and refuses to allow the Trooper to speak with the Driver.

One of the family members has been interviewed and stated that SHE went into the ambulance to calm the patient because she was alone and frightened.

I do think that the Trooper didn't have enough justification to pull the Ambulance over, but I also have problems understanding the Paramedic's actions...

[Wicked Felina]

Originally Posted by J.Galt

When the ER has stabalized the patient, then another chain of professionals takes over, ect...until the patient, hopefully, goes home.
...not to mention the fact that many patients DO NOT DO WELL WITH STRESS!!! It is often best to keep them calm! Now the legality of it: It is a felony for anyone other than a doctor to interfere with the care of a patient under a paramedics care. It does not matter if you are a cop, a judge, laywer or president. Secondly, if a paramedic leaves his patient without another person that is as qualified of more qualified than he is, he can go to jail and loose every penny he has, and will EVER have in his entire life; oh, and loose his liscence.

I just wanted people to see this from a paramedics point of view, and note that the emergent call the cop was risking lives on the road for was for a stolen car that already had the situation under control. A car; since when is a car more important than a human soul scared ****less in the back of an ambulance? I am really wondering what is happening to people? How can they accept this kind of behaviour from public officials? It is a sad day in our world to see people actually support this kind of behaviour by someone carrying a firearm!

I completely agree with your post and it gives us another perspective. I don't know that people honestly accept this kind of behaviour; I certainly do not. However, I would not throw the baby out with the bathwater, and condemn all of the police for this man's actions. I doubt that he'll get away with anything.

In my book, the patient comes first, not someone's bruised ego.

[Visvaldis]

Great thread.
Just a word of caution for anyone driving through Oklahoma - beware of state troopers.

[_redbird_]

Somewhere someone said the OHP had his wifey poo riding in the OHP car with him. A little bit of showing off maybe? Also, the OHP said the EMP driver flipped him the bird. That is not cool. I agree with LR. There is plenty of blame to go around.

Note to OHP wifey poo: Can you say "Domestic Assault and Battery/Abuse?"

Because you soon will be able to quote the law enforcement statute by heart. It is just a matter of time until the OHP officer turns that rage against you.

WHERE'S MY SUPPER!!! YOU BURNED THIS MEAT!

Flip me the bird, will you? Why, I'll show you!.....

[Goodpasture]

Sorry rb, but I have to disagree with you. When you issue a man/woman a gun, they are supposed to check their anger at the door. LEO's, and I have a lot of respect for the majority of them, have to be able to "take it" without over reacting. A person who loses control and who is allowed to carry and is supposed to use judgment when using force (up to and including deadly force), is a dangerous person and is a threat to society. Flipping off a cop might be bad taste and bad judgment, but it is not (that I recall) a criminal act. The kind of response shown by the cop is not the kind of response we need from the police when confronted with a problem.

I understand anger, and I understand heat of the moment issues. I know that there are a lot of people who react to such things.......I'm one of them. My temper has got me in more trouble than everything else combined........well, maybe not including my mouth.......... and I understand the EMT was in an equally bad mood. That is ok, because when the EMT gets angry, he doesn't have the capacity to shoot someone. The cop does. If that had been an off duty cop and he decided to whip an off duty EMT's butt, have at it. But when an EMT is performing his duty and the cop loses his temper while on duty, it is the cops job to defuse the situation, not escalate it. It is his job to be the arbiter, not the protagonist. As long as he is in uniform, in a squad car, carrying a gun, and representing the state of Oklahoma, he is NOT allowed to let his anger get the better of him. The EMT SHOULDN'T, but the cop CAN'T. It is a higher standard for the cop. But he is trained for that. He is supposed to be stronger than the crisis and able to handle the panic and anger of the people. that is why he is the cop, that is why we trust him with a gun. He HAS to be in more control than the EMT.