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.
Ha! in LA they don't respond at all, you get a form mailed to you, if it happened overnight.
What a load of crap. The "not yielding" was a joke, but even if it had the least bit of merit, the idea to detain the ambulance with patient on board was nothing but a giant power trip by a man of very diminished character.
Police are not empowered to act as potentates, period! If this little twooper had his feelings hurt (because the public safety certainly wasn't injured) then he should have told his supervisor about it and dealt with it through proper channels.
The EMT in charge did what men do, he took charge. It is his ultimate call concerning what the ambulance does, not the drivers. He quickly identified an out of control ego maniac and put himself directly where he needed to be.
By the way, exactly what was the nature of that Code 3 the trooper had going? He never got out of his car long enough to check anything out, so what was it?
Additionally, he had no idea what the nature of the medical emergency was, but he was certain that his little ego trip had to take precedence.
Had I been the EMT in charge I wouldn't have been nearly as polite.
In fact, the “boss” is lucky he didn’t get tazed when he resisted arrest.
The trooper is lucky he didn't get a blanket party courtesy of the patient's family, and he shouldn't ever be allowed to wear a badge again.
LOL,you’re right. It must take a man of heart attack age to see this ambulance stopping is a *bad bad* thing!
You know, as in ,,when you hit that age that if you died of a heart attack, people would say “too bad, nice guy” instead of “WHAT? At HIS age?? Does anybody know why? Are they doing an autopsy?”
Can you guess which 2 freepers are cops based on their posts in this thread. Cops just don’t get why they get NO respect anymore. They cover for each other NO MATTER WHAT.
Oh do please explain. There was no undue delay for the trooper. At the very most, he might have requested that his supervisor interface with the EMTs to review the issue. That's it. That's how people who aren't on government sponsored power trips handle things.
Additionally, when the EMT in charge came out, he should have spoken to the man in charge. That too is how the rest of the world works. He could have still written his stupid citation if his stupidity required it. If I don't like something at Wendy's, I don't jump behind the counter, push the manager out of the way and start screaming at a counter worker.
If cops want respect, they damned well better treat people with the same.
Here’s the earlier thread from May http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2259803/posts
I see these threads from time to time and read all the bashing that goes along with them, but yet, I see no solutions offered nor anyone offering to do the job for them. . .indeed, if those that have such a cynical approach take the job, then those that are so much better than the thug-cops means there will be less thug-cops. Which leads me to a serious question.
What exactly are your suggestions for handling crime. Who? How? Yeah, yeah, all of us armed and ready, of course, but what of the very young, old, infirm, the elderly shut-ins, the one's taken unawares. . .the investigation afterwords. . .etc. . .I ask again, what exactly are your serious suggestions for handling crime and criminals.
Would you do the job? if not, why not? And if not you, who?
Serious question.
Freeperville has turned into Emotional-ville.
I hate it when conservatives act like liberals and let their viewpoint take way from their rationality.
If the case were reversed and a trooper would have ignored an ambulance on a code, my God, you guys would be ready for a trooper lynching!
There has always been a small vocal anti cop group here and your coming in loud and clear.
But you’ll be the first to whine when a cop gets to the scene late when your family is involved. Please, when that happens make sure to come on here and snivel.
Talk in your echo chamber, I don’t debate facts with a bunch of Hissy emotional girls...I can watch OlberFuhrer for that drama queen crap.
Talk amongst yourselves. Out.
Ambulances have great big ole numbers on them and who's driving isn't a secret, so why would he risk his job. But beyond that, I thought the citation was for failing to yield, not giving the one finger salute.
Again, the proper action would have been to take it up through official channels. Or we can just start arming EMT's so that they can fight the cops off long enough to get to the hospital.
This has nothing to do with “anti-cop” sentiment. The other trooper who was called to the scene behaved professionally, and did his best to halt the escalation of the conflict. There was ONE trooper here who was way, way out of line, and clearly does not have the emotional stability needed for this type of work.
So he truly interfered with a real emergency, in order to prove to the EMT's that the HP is higher on the food chain. If there were a real robbery, he was needed at the service station, as only an armed robbery would justify his speeding and pulling blindly into the oncoming lane, as he did. Where did the robber go? Did he magically disappear?
And there wasn't much of a shoulder there, where exactly was the ambulance supposed to go?
Then he totally insults the EMTs by telling the man in charge to get lost. He took a nothing violation, turned it into a major problem, and then took a polite response and turned it into a scuffle.
Sorry, but I don't accept the idea that I have to act like a vassal in the presence of law enforcement.
His total disregard for the patient in the ambulance and the paramedic profession is outragous. This man needs to turn in his badge.
I'm not a minority and I would have told my driver to get back behind the wheel and head to the hospital. Then I would have told the trooper to follow (which is basically what this EMT tried to do).
This was nothing more than a little man on a big power trip, who's damned lucky that the EMT's and family members had enough respect for the uniform to not beat the tar out of him.
It is very simple, unfortunately you missed how simple it is by concerning yourlself too much with the law.
-Trooper coded on way to convenience store call. -Ambi ignores code (which can cause lives to be lost if armed robbery or other emergency) -Trooper arives to code call...advised situation handled -Trooper goes after ambi
This is the way a common sense jury would see it:
-Trooper on the way to a call WHERE SOMETHING MIGHT BE HAPPENING
-Ambi contains AN ACTUAL PERSON WHO IS BEING TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL
-Thus real people will always side with the certainty the person in the ambi over the possibility. And the trooper getting his panties in a wad would not help him with a jury.
That is why the prosecutor wanted no part of this.
Exactly - you pull over WHEN IT'S SAFE TO DO SO. This trooper was on him like white on rice, and expected an immediate response from the ambulance driver.
The cop had a chip on his shoulder, plain and simple. He was showing off to his apparent passinger. He was being a prick, and I'd have laughed if the paramedic coldcocked the trooper.
I'm surprised that the recording from the camera didn't accidently "disappear", given that the cops have custody of it.
Which right would that be? Cops don't have a right to use their badge to settle personal issues.
You are making a big deal about how the ambulance driver endangered the public. That's a joke right? He is operating a vehicle on the way to take care of public safety and the trooper had to slow down to the speed limit from 100mph for all of 10 seconds. A delay of maybe 20 seconds.
Additionally, he knows that giving a ambulance driver a ticket will have a professional impact on the guy, and he goes out looking for a little grovelling, so that he can feel big in front of the misses.
The solution here is to retrain that police force to understand safe driving practices on the part of other First Responders.
Then I'd give them a refresher in what crime is and what it isn't.
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