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.
bttt
Want those boys in tip top shape to take care of me when I need a trip ya' know.
A stolen car gig is a property crime. Ambulances usually involve something else EVEN if they don't have the lights on.
Getting ready to eat dinner...I’ll read it later.
But based on your summation of facts there is nothing that the trooper did that was wrong.
You have “interpreted” some info and drawn wrong conclusions, from what I can see.
Copy and paste some info from the report that you feel puts the trooper in the wrong...I’ll check it out in a few hours.
Family dinner time.
You say trooper is toast. I say he gets nothing.
Show me your support for the firing you believe is coming/
Ambulance didn’t even have a chance to pull over, there was a car in their way. Then they slowed immediately. Trooper was going *at least* in the high 90s, possibly over 100, and overtook them.
Extremely immature of the cop to go argue with them. And if you’ve been to Oklahoma, don’t kid yourself, there was race at work there. When the pharmacist shot the two black robbers, he was charged because they were black. This incident was the flip side of that coin. Thats why the cop went nuts.
But it’s *off the charts abusive* for him to delay an ambulance with a patient, and to arrest ANY of the crew for something so trivial. Kudos to the self control of the family of the woman being transported. I can’t imagine keeping my temper as well as they did. Usually i’m dang near reflexive in defending cops, but this jerk was a bad cop in every way.
1) Drove like an ass, used radio to be a smart ass, the guys at the scene ALREADY migt have needed to get on the air.
2) Didn’t even exit his car at the call, it’s more important to go get someone passing by IN AN AMBULANCE who gave him a finger.
3) Delayed a patient for flimsy reason.
4) let people mill all around, climb in and out of ambulance is extremely poor officer safety.
5) Arrested ambulance personel when they had a patient.
This isnt what you want protecting you.
I, like you, especially enjoyed the OK way the LEO slammed the driver against the ambulance and applied a chokehold. The second incident of that on the passsenger side of the ambulance looked very peaceful as well. Video of that only came out yesterday, because the action previously released on youtube only showed the one incident. The dashboard camera clearly indicated a second assault on the other side of the ambulance.
These scofflaw ambulance drivers need to be put in their place, right?
And the cop could have followed the ambulance, to the destination, and taken care of a simple citation at that time.
It seems to me that some egos were bruised, that maybe even the cops wife might have put some “gesture” idea in the cop’s head.
This was a horrible way to handle the matter.
Impeding him for what, looking like a big shot in front of his wife?
“He is going to what appears to be a call to a convenience/gas station”
He should have got out at the station. Or listened to his radio. He didnt even bother to ask if the guy at the call needed a hand with anything. Witness statements, talk to that person, go look for this or that,,,, nothing. Lazy OK hi patrol was more interrested in his hurt feelings. He didnt spend 10 seconds at that call.
And for all the silliness out there, this was a stolen car call. Mostly an insurance matter. He drives like a menace for that. Many Many places do not respond like that to an auto theft.
It’s pretty hard to explain to dead family members that you killed their 16 year old, driving to the store for the first time ever on her new license, because you were rushing to file a report for State Farm or Geico.
“I didn’t see a thing the trooper was right about”
Ditto
Cop was a foul mouthed bully. And a stupid one too. When he gets shot, or wrecks driving like as ass. Guess who the ambulance crew might be?
Real bright bulb this guy is.
The call from the store had asked for police to hurry, so it was appropriate to hurry. Stolen car incidents at convenience stores often involve violence, e.g. owner shoved away from car at gunpoint while fueling, and thief speeds away in car without regard for owner’s proximity to car. But that’s beside the point in this case. The offending officer had already been to the scene of the call and determined that the sheriff’s office had everything under control. THEN he went off to try to teach the ambulance driver to show him respect. AND he called another officer for back-up, indicating that it was an emergency, causing THAT officer to head race to the scene with lights and sirens.
Agreed. This is not the kind of cop we want pulling over our ambulance when we have a heart attack FUR SHUR!!!
What got me was that it was a very slight delay in passing the ambulance. Too, when he got on scene, it didn’t appear that he even exited his vehicle, and pursued the ambulance as soon as it passed by.
I’ve met a few Oklahoma Highway Patrolmen, most via traffic checks, one when my car broke down on the Indian Nation Turnpike. All were as professional and courteous as can be, and definitely orders above most other law enforcement personnel I’ve encountered. In the case of my stranded auto, the trooper gave me a ride into town and he was friendly and talkative on the way. A very nice guy. I can’t imagine this trooper being either representative or deserving of the job.
I think I was in error about the officer’s wife being on the scene. I’d heard that (or thought I heard it) on a TV news broadcast yesterday, but when I Googled for it, the only references to “wife” I could find with this story were to a relative of the patient in the ambulance. Either I misheard the report, or the report had gotten the info garbled about whose wife was on the scene.
See my post #75. I think I introduced some erroneous info onto this thread, based on something I thought I heard on the news yesterday. I don’t think the officer’s wife was on the scene.
“The offending officer”
Freudian slip?
And its not his job to enforce shows of “respect”.
“The offending officer”
Freudian slip?
And its not his job to enforce shows of “respect”.
“The offending officer”
Freudian slip?
And its not his job to enforce shows of “respect”.
You know,, I really go outta my way to defend cops on all of these you-tube “offenses”. But im just not seeing this one as justified on ANY way at all. Not his response, his tactics, his judgement, his attitude, nothing. Sometimes the truth is staring us all in the face.
The cop was clearly a poor cop, and an immature bully.
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