Posted on 09/01/2017 7:34:22 AM PDT by BobNative
A nurse says she was assaulted and illegally arrested by a Salt Lake City police detective for following a hospital policy that does not allow blood draws from unconscious patients.
Footage from University Hospital and officer body cameras shows Detective Jeff Payne and nurse Alex Wubbels in a standoff over whether the policeman should be allowed to get a blood sample from a patient who had been injured in a July 26 collision in northern Utah that left another driver dead.
Wubbels says blood cannot be taken from an unconscious patient unless the patient is under arrest, unless there is a warrant allowing the draw or unless the patient consents. The detective acknowledges in the footage that none of those requirements is in place, but he insists that he has the authority to obtain the draw, according to the footage.
(Excerpt) Read more at sltrib.com ...
> The patient is a commercial truck driver who was operating a semi truck when the accident occurred. <
Ah, that’s a most interesting point! If (and that’s a big if) the driver falls under the federal law you referenced, then it was the cop’s responsibility to make that clear to the nurse.
If someone is to be arrested, that person has the right to know exactly what law he broke.
This was not an emergency situation. That cop’s order went against everything that nurse was trained to do. An explanation - including a call to her supervisor - would have gone a long way.
Unfortunately, the cop chose brute force instead.
Later
“The story, AS PRESENTED, shows a arrogant and out-of-control cop.”
It is not a stretch to follow that comment with the statement he probably learned it from the out of control leadership above him and the local, state, and Federal Government above them all.
All one has to remember is WACO, Ruby Ridge, a few thousand long forgotten incidents in between, and now Bundy Ranch where your patriotism, and love of the Constitution, will get you a few years in prison while you await a trial on your presumed innocence until PROVEN guilty.
“That officer acted like a thug.”
And the other thugs didn’t do a single damn thing while that fat bastard beat up a nurse.
And what was the point? The man that they wanted blood from was the VICTIM of a police chase gone bad so they were trying to get something to use to blame the victim and maybe even arrest him (without probable cause) so they could avoid the liability they have from their ill-considered car chase.
But yeah, we’re supposed to worship the cops even when they spit on the Constitution, step on it, and wipe their butts with it.
Not me.
If the cops want my respect then they only need to do three things:
1. Defend and protect the Constitution that they swore to defend and protect.
2. Obey the laws they enforce.
3. Don’t be a dick.
If they can’t manage these three simple things then get another job or don’t expect everyone to care when they get shot...like some of them obviously deserve.
[/rant]
Lots of variables. If you're unconscious and need immediate surgery because you're bleeding to death, for example, they'll draw blood to determine your blood type for the transfusion. Note however that that still doesn't give the cops the right to that information.
Excellent rebuttal.
Should “hospital policy” trump the needs of law enforcement?
Only if you like the idea of living in a police state. Holy smokes... what have some people turned into around here???
I’m surprised he didn’t have a warrant, Tucson keeps a judge on call to issue blood draw DUI warrants, cops can get one in about 5 minutes. Maybe it was just a lazy cop.
Trial that is, if you survive the Government’s attempt to end your live prematurely.
Thank you.
My guess is, based on the story, the police had zero grounds for a blood draw from the individual in question.
Oh indeed.
I’m always ready, willing and able to read the headline (and maybe the excerpt) and render an opinion.
Then get flamed for it.
when is FR going to jump into the 2000’s and implement an “edit post” feature?
Will that work any better than read before you post? See my 111 for live vs life.
Hospitals rarely implement a policy like this without reaching out to local law enforcement and trying to come to some agreement on how it will be done. Its a very sensitive issue, and a hospital wants their policy to be approval by the cops to reduce their own liability, etc.
This is all over the news/web/newspapers. I think the cop is now ‘famous’ - in a bad way.
FWIW - I’ve dealt with some of the prototypical “fat-ass Southern cop” types while stationed in Miss. I’ve also done the same with Utah cops. I’ll have to say - the Utah cops scare the living crap out of me. You have to read some more of these kind of stores to get the full picture - but this is not uncommon.
The cops in Utah seem to suffer from some kind of god complex....
And what was Lt. James Tracy's authority?
"I was just following orders." is not a valid excuse.
“An explanation - including a call to her supervisor - would have gone a long way.”
She had a hospital Admin on the speaker phone telling the cop “you’re making a mistake” which the cop totally ignored.
Are you kidding me?
She was protecting the rights of an American citizen against overzealous police actions.
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