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.
Damn Jerk Cops! Part of the reason respect for law is down in this country. Police are the last people who need to be throwing little temper tantrums. If there hadn’t been a dash cam, the cop would have lied his a** off in court. Wonder why Czech press is all over this?
parsy, who gets disgusted with the way cops act.
Having spent 10-years as a high-school football referee, I learned that a very important ability is to not let situations escalate in volatility. While the trooper was correct in chewing out the ambulance driver for not yielding, he allowed the entire situation to ratchet up to where he backed himself into a no-win position. He should have told everyone to get back in the ambulance and followed it to the medical facility and then did whatever it was he was going to do...he used poor judgement.
Not just a civilian, but his WIFE according to the reports I’ve heard. Yeah, I’m sure he was urgently racing to the scene of some or crime or accident where lives were in danger, and just decided it made sense to stop and harass the EMT and ambulance driver for several minutes, and ignore any risk to the patient in the ambulance. And wifey just rides along with him because she finds it interesting.
I heartily disagree.
The trooper was well within the law in citing the ambulance for failure to yield. Had the “boss” kept inside the damn ambulance it would have been a simple citation written and everyone goes on their way.
And I think the driver did flip off the trooper, since the driver thought the trooper would be too busy to come back and find him.
And the EMT helpfully pointed out to him this prudent course of action . . . to no avail.
“The trooper was obviously not in any hurry to get to the scene of some urgent matter”
Yes he was. Go back and watch the video from the beginning. He is going to what appears to be a call to a convenience/gas station (most likely a robbery call). He pulls in, somebody already made it to the call and he is ok’d to go.
Then he goes after the ambi for not yielding to the trooper.
“And I think the driver did flip off the trooper, since the driver thought the trooper would be too busy to come back and find him.”
Since when is flipping off a trooper against the law?
A citation would have been within the law, but not stopping the ambulance and then refusing to let it proceed to the hospital after being advised that there was a patient inside.
unlawful use of a hand signal...
lol
i meant improper use of a hand signal...
>>A citation would have been within the law, but not stopping the ambulance and then refusing to let it proceed to the hospital after being advised that there was a patient inside.<<
It wasn’t running under code, so there was no rush. When not running with lights and sirens, an ambulance is just another vehicle.
By the letter of the law, the trooper was in the right.
>>Since when is flipping off a trooper against the law?<<
It isn’t but it is what prompted the trooper to come back and make the stop.
yep, the trooper could come up with a bunch of other wrongful actions while he’s making things up. heck he might even get to tazer or maybe shoot the guy if he fails to show proper respect.
Not according to more detailed reports of the incident:
http://www.tulsaworld.com/opinion/article.aspx?subjectid=61&articleid=20090607_214_G1_Frnalm238353
What’s undisputed is that Trooper Daniel Martin, came within a few feet of the rear of the ambulance as he responded to an auto-theft call. Paul Franks, the ambulance driver, claims he didn’t see the patrol car rapidly approaching from the rear because of the ambulance’s boxy design. He said his attention was focused on a car in front of him. Franks said he received a snippy radio call from Trooper Martin suggesting he use his rear view mirrors in the future. That might have been all there was to the incident. But a few minutes later, while at the stolen-auto scene, Martin saw the ambulance pass. Believing Franks had given him a one-fingered obscene salute, Martin pursued the ambulance until it pulled over. He said he was trying to interview Franks when his partner, critical-care paramedic Maurice White Jr., emerged from ambulance, slamming the “door in a hostile manner.”
According to that sequence, the patrolman left the scene of his important police business to pursue the ambulance, and not in response to the failure to yield, but in response to the rude but not illegal one-fingered salute.
That's usually a "clue" that you will lose your job. That's because the question on the table has changed from "was what he did legal and justfiable" to "is there any evidence or justification for retaining him on the force" ~
Got a kick out of the idea of a trooper pulling over an ambulance and trying to choke an EMT or driver. Don't think I've ever heard that one before.
Exactly, troopers take a bad rap on FR.
Now the guy last week that tased the gramma that was ridiculous, but this guy was in his right. He could have shown more discretion but the ambi driver was basically blowing off a trooper on a code.
My brother is a trooper. He got me my “don’t tread on me” and various other flags. 80% of the troopers are limited government conservatives. They are not the black booted storm troopers some want to make them out to be.
State troopers are very well trained btw, probably the best trained of state and local officers.
I suspect he's begun imagining things.
>>Just about everyone missed the part ~ SUSPENDED WITHOUT PAY.<<
Huh?
The article says: “The patrol has completed its internal investigation into the actions of trooper Daniel Martin, who has been placed on administrative leave with pay,”
Well, I watched it two or three times.
The trooper comes up behind the ambulance and the car in front of the ambulance pulls over, probably hearing the siren and thinking it was from the ambulance, after that the ambulance did pull over.Probably when he heard the siren. The cop went by and went to his “emergency.
The video doesnt show any hand gesture, but the officer was in a belligerent mood and shoving his badge down these folks throat.
An office comes to me and says he isnt aking any shit , and he wil get me wound up quick too. The officer instigated the belligerence.
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