Posted on 02/26/2012 8:50:05 AM PST by smoothsailing
Tim Blight
February 26, 2012
Douglas Kennedy, Fox News correspondent and son of the late Robert F. Kennedy, has been charged with assault after a 7 January incident in a New York hospital.
2 nurses at the Mt Kisco hospital alleged that Kennedy became violent after they tried to prevent him from taking his newborn son Bo outside of the ward. Kennedy says he wanted to "get some fresh air" and had already received permission from other nurses on duty, Reuters reports.
The confrontation began after nurses issued a "code pink", an alert that someone is attempting to abduct a baby. The incident was partially caught on surveillance camera; although obscured by a doorway, nurse Cari Luciano can be seen falling to the ground.
Luciano stated that Kennedy "raised his right foot and with tremendous force kicked [her] in the pelvis area". Another nurse, Anna Lane, accused the New York-based journalist of twisting her arm, although this appears off screen on the surveillance video.
Kennedy has been charged with harassment and endangering the welfare of a child.
Kennedy and his wife have labeled accusations "absurd" in an interview with NBC New York. His lawyer, Robert Gottlieb, called the altercation the result of "aggressive and grossly inappropriate behavior by two nurses".
"Whatever Douglas did came about only because the nurse was lunging to grab his child from his arms. What Douglas did was simply to protect his baby," he added.
A date for the hearing has not yet been announced.
Amen to that. He's a lousy reporter, from what I've seen. Actually I rarely see him on FNC. Is he still a "Fox News reporter"?
You’re not being forced to go to the hospital. If you think hospitals are bad places then you or a member of your family should never go there. Better yet, move to Cuba. I hear over at DU that they have better medical care.
Dispatch me to where Ernie? From what I can see, you're the newbie around here which begs the question, where exactly did YOU come from?
Nurses are generally great, from my experience, but not always. I had a roommate once who had that stomach staple surgery and the nurses would not respond to her. She could not move so I started helping her with the water she needed held for her to drink.
Then the pain got unbearable and they still would not respond to her so I went on a rampage. Told them I was calling the local news if they did not get there in three minutes and then I started counting down so everyone could hear. A doctor responded in that situation - it was clear who was in charge and it was not the nurses. He was furious and they were jumping to it.
Nurses are not always right in what they do and in their motivations. I would not assume they are right in this instance. Seems they were overreacting against the father -the main authority over the kid - taking his child for a walk. They have made asses out of everyone including themselves. That is not how professionals act.
Roger Ailes, chairman and CEO of Fox News, on Sunday released a statement regarding the incident.
“I have known Douglas Kennedy, his wife and his family professionally and personally for over 15 years,” Ailes said in a statement. “He tells the truth and his calm and gentle demeanor always impressed me. He is the definition of a great father and it is a role he cherishes over all others.”
Ailes continued, “I support Douglas as do the independent eyewitness accounts of the event. It is unfortunate that what appears to be a father’s defensive maneuver to protect his newborn baby has been twisted because of his famous name. In my view, the real moral of this story should be don’t try to grab a baby from the arms of a loving father.”
I don’t go to them.
Unfortunately, some are forced to go to them.
FYI...I have been “ZOTTED” from Free Republic.
You may contact me at cshutcherson1@yahoo.com.
Best regards, and keep the faith.
“...where did you come from?”
Born, bred, raised and educated right here in the U.S.A. And and dang proud of it.
Your e-mail must have been a gag.
War Stories with Oliver North is on FOX News channel now.
Guess that didn't work out too well did it? From all your FReeper friends, good bye Ernie...........
Mr. Friendly is gone
Good riddance.
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