Posted on 05/28/2009 6:57:31 AM PDT by Dallas59
The incident happened near Boley in Okfuskee County.
In the video, you see OHP troopers pushing the paramedic and grabbing his neck.
The fight happened during an emergency call when a patient waiting to be taken to the local hospital was in the back of the ambulance.
Officials say OHP troopers became upset after the paramedic failed to yield while the troopers were rushing to a call of their own.
The troopers claim the paramedic assaulted one of them before the camera started rolling.
The video was shot by the patient's son. He says he continually asked the troopers to stop, so his mom could be taken to the hospital.
"We're like telling this dude. 'Man, my mom is in the back.' My step-dad was like 'man my wife is in the back, can we do this at the hospital,'" said Kenyada Davis.
The patient was finally taken to the hospital where she was treated and released.
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol won't comment on the video while it's being reviewed by Okfuskee County prosecutors.
The vehicle with the right of way is the vehicle that would have the right of way if neither were going to an emergency. Laws vary from state to state. In Texas, except for police in pursuit, emergency vehicles are not supposed to go more than ten miles over the posted speed limit. They're also not supposed to speed in a school zone or a hospital zone. While emergency vehicles have the legal right to proceed through lights or stop signs, the driver assumes legal responsibility for the safe negotiation of the intersection.
Usually, procedure is for police to follow the ambulance to the hospital and address the issue at the hospital. FWIW, I've known a lot of cops, firefighters and paramedics, and bad driving is not confined to any one branch.
Detaining the ambulance while they had a patient in the back was very bad form, possibly illegal, and definitely opens the department to civil liability.
Oops, meant 2.77 armed government employees per 1000.
Am I the only one who watched the whole video? Didn’t anybody else see that the EMT shoved the LEO first, and that’s what ratcheted up the confrontation?
I don’t care who you are, you don’t shove an LEO when he’s writing, lecturing, or otherwise trying to get your attention.
Thank God that the patient was not in a life-threatening situation and that she was treated and released.
Detaining the ambulance while they had a patient in the back was very bad form, possibly illegal, and definitely opens the department to civil liability.
Thank you for your reasoned approach.Now that is common sense in the absence of definitive Law.
I didn’t see that. I saw a cop pointing his finger and yelling, the paramedic pointing his finger and mouthing back, a cop then grabbing his finger and trying to put him in an arm bar, and the guy defending himself by pushing away. Every citizen has a legal right to defend themselves from an assault and battery when LE is acting illegally. And having multiple cops involved does not make it legal.
Last time I was in OK City on business, was out late and on the way back to the motel couldn't believe the number of OSP rounding up speeders, drunks etc on the Interstate running through the center of town.
One clown in a PICKUP truck, no less, was evading one cruiser. I was going along at ~60 mph and the cowboy cuts directly in front of my vehicle, inches away, to beat a hasty exit while shaking the pursuer.
Whadda town OK City, all in a night's work I guess. {g}
>Because most people are cowards.
I consider myself to be a coward; though most people say otherwise, especially if they know I’m an OIF vet. Self-criticism can be very good, but it can also be debilitating... like a lot of things in life it requires balance.
You are not ‘brave’ if go aggressively and mindlessly into whatever fight lays in your path, nor are you any less ‘brave’ should you consider the current conditions to be unacceptably unfavorable to you at the moment.
Yet, I think I do understand what you mean. I was berated the other day because, after picking up a gun that came in (a Savage Model 24), I went into a Burger King and got me some lunch. I did bring the weapon with me as I did not want to leave it in my truck AND as I live in an Open Carry state. Anyway, as I was finishing my meal, the Assisstant Manager came up to me and asked if it was a real gun; I replied it was. She then told me that it was illegal for me to have it in there, though it really wasn’t, being an public place w/ no anti-weapon postings in an open carry state. (Apparently it was so important that it had to be taken care of AFTER I’d had enough time to eat my meal. [/sarc]) The woman kept saying woefully ignorant things like “it might [suddenly] go off” and “it’s dangerous”... I tried to explain that it’s an INANIMATE OBJECT and doesn’t ‘go off’ for no reason, maybe I should have also explained that by laying it [horizontally] on the table pointed into the wall that even should it go off it was in a safe direction.
It surprises me that people are this idiotic.
There was no gun charge.
"Rodriguez was booked on suspicion of felony evading, interfering with or obstructing police, a parole violation and a special allegation that he committed the crimes for benefit of a gang.
As you have demonstrated.
Well perhaps I am no clear enough in making that comment. I am trying to say that most people grow government out of fear. Fear of unemployment, fear of traffic accidents. Fear of starvation. Fear of violence.
I am trying to say that it is a cowardly act to set up a tyrannical government in pursuit of zero risk. Life IS risk. Zero risk is a quixotic dream. I am unwilling to give up my freedom of movement in pursuit of that unobtainable objective: Zero Risk. That’s what I am trying to say. The more years that folks grow up in these highly controlled environments, like public schools, the more they demand a highly controlled community. That is acting out of fear. I am wise and avoid confrontation if at all possible. But I won’t hesitate to shoot somebody breaking into my house. The cities and counties scare people into growing government power. As long as people believe they need protection the government can grow. So what I am saying is a hard truth and not easy to swallow. I have even been called mentally ill on this thread for daring to reject conventional norms of risk and risk attenuation.
Has nothing whatsoever to do with the kick to the face. I call double-plus-bull-crap on your made up version. There's a "cop" channel...geez what kind of idiot would watch that.
From just reading this piece (haven’t seen the video...just the picture above) I think I’d side with the paramedic.
I did see that, though it may be the case.
>Free people accept a reasonable amount of risk and take the time and precautions to be aware of their surroundings, alert, and ready to take defensive steps
The 2nd Amendment.
My State Constitution’s Section six of Article two.
Where does the vested interest of the “Cop Channel” producers lie? Perhaps with the Police departments who provide them with footage and interviews?
or are you just like those libs who champion free-thought, unless the thought just happens to contradict your own?
Correction: I did NOT see that, though it may be the case.
Let's start with the fact that it was an ambulance, not a bus.
How does pointing out a fact make me a cop-hater? I realize that it might jar that chip on your shoulder.
I have a notion that risk is a constant, it just gets transferred.
Like the Europeans. Low risk socialized big government that occasionally the risk attenuation mechanism, government, goes off the rails and destroys the place, kills tens of millions. The rest of the time the dump is nice and orderly.
Anyways, why should we look to the high cost, low quality, time insensitive provider of goods and service known as government for risk reduction? These are the people that built, at great expense, urban ghetto high rise rookeries for crime breeding and production, that they said would REDUCE crime. So, we got a twofer, more taxes, and more crime.
But, this time, it’s different. Right.
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