Posted on 06/14/2009 12:19:46 PM PDT by kenth
PRAGUE — The Oklahoma Highway Patrol released a dashboard camera video late Friday that was recorded during an altercation between a patrol trooper and an emergency medical technician. Featured Gallery
The patrol said the move is contrary to what the agency normally does but decided to release the video because of the high level of public interest and the fact that the release "would not affect the administrative review” of the patrol’s investigation of the incident, according to a statement released late Friday.
"We’ve been well aware of the fact that this incident has drawn enormous attention, but made the decision to protect the integrity of the investigation, any and all relevant evidence, as well as the rights of the department employees during the course of the investigation as required by law,” said patrol spokesman Capt. Chris West.
The move came after the patrol received sharp criticism by the attorney representing the technician, who questioned the patrol’s initial decision not to release the video.
The patrol has completed its internal investigation into the actions of trooper Daniel Martin, who has been placed on administrative leave with pay, West said. The investigation is now under review.
Martin, a patrolman with two years experience, has been cleared of criminal wrongdoing by Okfuskee County District Attorney Max Cook. He also said he would not file charges against Creek Nation EMT Maurice White Jr., who is the person involved in the altercation with Martin.
Richard O’Carroll, White’s attorney, had earlier criticized the patrol for not releasing the video.
"Why wouldn’t they release the video?” said O’Carroll of Tulsa.
West initially defended his agency’s decision to withhold the dashboard video, adding that Martin is entitled to his "due process” as a state employee. Martin claims the ambulance driver, Paul Franks, rolled down his window and made an obscene gesture at him. Franks denies making such a gesture.
"This investigation is to determine whether any disciplinary actions should be taken or not,” West said. "We’re trying to take the high road here.
One video of the incident has reached the public domain. The video was taken by the ambulance patient’s son on his cell phone camera and posted on YouTube.
Martin is shown choking White outside the ambulance with another patrolman, Brian Iker, urging everyone to remain calm.
"Thank God there was a camera, or else my client would have been prosecuted by now,” O’Carroll said.
Dead wrong. The ambulance was running lights on. The cop was not. Try again.
There are training courses ~ live and on line ~ for both regarding the situation. There are miles of text and pictures about it.
Basic deal is that ambulances have a minimum 22% increase in SAFE stoppng distance compared to vehicles of the same dimension and weight.
Well darned!
That car that'd pulled over took over the ambulance's safe stopping distance pull over area and the driver should have been ticketed!
Cops just tagged the wrong guy.
’ Would you do the job? if not, why not? And if not you, who?”
Well for starters I wouldn’t give police departments military training, weapons, vehicles and gung ho attitude. I wouldn’t use SWAT teams to serve parking tickets. I wouldn’t taze 72 year old women, shoot Chuwahas on their porch, stomp hamsters, shoot grandmas and so on. I wouldn’t encourage the abuse of drug laws by letting departments keep the ‘drug’ money they confiscate without actual proof.
I wouldn’t recruit based on the above and would strictly enforce the standards and ‘protect and serve’ mentality.
I wouldn’t prevent law abiding citizens from owning and possessing firearms.
I would put a stop to the Us vs Them attitude, the attitude that everyone is guilty. That people are worthy of respect.
But I don’t really expect any of this to happen. You reap what you sow, the cops are building a blue wall around themselves and act surprised when its there.
Probably transporting drugs and got caught. The tropper should have called for backup and arrested the perp on the spot.
Tasing would have been appropriate for the anti-authoritarian emt thug. The emt was completely out of line and (the officer will prevail) in this case.The emt has a severe attitude and apparent hostility towards law enforcement officers.
I would have had his ass in cuffs and a few of the agitators as well.
Molon Labe,
NSNR
Step #1: Stop using time, resources and prestige to badger EMTs.
Step #2: Concern yourself with public safety and not your own ego.
Step #3: The bad guys hurt people, they don't load them into ambulances and take them to the hospital.
The bottom line is that a badge doesn't give a person the right to act like an ass. The police deserve a certain level of respect unless they prove that they don't deserve it. This cop proved that he doesn't deserve the respect expected of the badge.
What to do? Get rid of bad eggs.
I agree 100 % and though there might be some bad apples in the bushel. The majority of our LEO(s) are doing a damn good job.
There will always be the cop haters on this site. They are probably perturbed because some LEO locked their sorry butt up or put them in their place for a change.
The fool EMT should have kept his sorry ass in the (amlance) instead of trying to interfere with a peace officer in performance of his duties.
I hope the officer is not punished for doing his job.
In closing (F) all you LEO haters on the FR.
Molon Labe,
NSNR
“They are probably perturbed because some LEO locked their sorry butt up or put them in their place for a change.”
Never been arrested, never been charged. Don’t think public servants should put the public “in their place”.
I hope this ‘officer’ is fired and moves on to something more suitable for his lack of self control.
“In closing (F) all you LEO haters on the FR.”
Missed this one.
I don’t hate LEO but do hate ignorant self righteous idiots.
Couple of threads going on medical blogs discussing the correct course of action for an EMT who finds the police arresting his driver.
If he has a patient in the care box the laws in OK and most other states provide that he, the EMT, simply cannot abandon the patient(s) and take over driving the vehicle.
Intresting problem for the EMT. They also discuss a number of legal issues most of which involve the cop who stopped the ambulance before it reached its destination. He's in some very serious difficulty in OK ~ it's a felony to do that over a minor traffic infraction (which this was ~ he has to assume an ambulance is running around ON CODE even if he's not speeding and has no emergency lights on).
Interesting problem for the cops fur shur.
Still, this is a Creek Indian reservation facility, as is the ambulance. That part of OK has 8 counties that look like they're full of white people but they are still part of a reservation. It is really difficult to get hold of a telephone directory because the phones are run by the Indians ~ at least the rural phone service is ~ maybe the towns too.
Not is all as it seems in this part of the world with two nations overlaid on each other with competing laws and jurisdictions. This might even be something that has to go to a federal court for resolution.
That's sarcasm right?
The ambulance drive may not have felt he cold stop at the speed the drive in the car did and swerved around the car, before yielding.
The office is a moron and hot head. He is not someone who can be trusted to control himself nor act professional. You can see his lack of perspective and control as he learns he is not needed at his primary scene and decides to take on the ambulance driver.
Here we have intent to show what a bully he can be and this while under the color of law. He pulls over the ambulance and the supervisor of the ambulance explains he has a patient in route to the hospital.
The office clearly wants to Lord over someone his position and authority, by teaching the ambulance a lesson.
“You don't give me those hand gestures!” he says to the driver. If this guy even cared in the slightest about knowing what was going and hearing an explanation he could have asked the driver. Instead he proceeds to verbally berate the driver and then physically attacks the supervisor who continues to tell the officer he has a patient and will be happy to submit to anything the officer demands after they discharge their patient to the hospital.
This guy needs to be fired and the OHP should be sued. What if the patient died because of a lack of care from this extreme and self absorbed jerk?
>>Dead wrong. The ambulance was running lights on. The cop was not. Try again.<<
HUH? YOU try again — the cop was code 3 and the ambulance not.
Good call, hadn’t thought of that. /S lol
you had right the first time. lol
I watched the video with sound on and wow:
1. That boy with a badge was quite lucky he did not get his ass kicked. Only because those people were highly respectful of the law was the only thing that saved him.
2. The driver might well have thought the cop was pulling over the car in front of him so he proceded for a short while after passing the car pulling over.
3. Among the crimes the boy with the badge committed were:
A. Willful delay of an emergency vehicle on an emergency run.
B. Assault of medical personnel while performing their duty.
4. I can not believe it is OHP policy to get out of your squad car and swear at the public.
5. Is this boy with a badge a moron or what. The Dallas case happened one state away. This guy is so stupid he could not learn from that incident?
Bottom line is this guy will be lucky to just be fired.
Really, doesn’t address the question I had.
Again, nothing to do with the question I asked.
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