Caught On Tape: Troopers Vs. Paramedic

First, I think there is confusion on a few details.

1.) The ambulance was not going 'Code 3' (Lights and Sirens) to the hospital. They were most likely doing a normal transport from a 911 call that did not require urgent transport to the hospital. Most return trips for ambulances are Code 2 (Normal Driving).

2.) It was the State Trooper who was going 'Code 3' (Lights and Sirens) to assist another county and the ambulance driver is accused of not yielding to an emergency vehicle with lights and sirens on. At best, he deserves a ticket.

3.) By State Law (I have not found a state without this law) once an EMT or Paramedic has made physical contact with a patient that person cannot legally leave that patient's care unless care is transferred to someone of equal or higher qualifications (another Paramedic or Doctor. A nurse down not qualify as equal care). Most Paramedic ambulances run with one Paramedic and one EMT-Basic (IV Certified). This means if the Paramedic established contact with the patient then the Paramedic could not legally give care to the EMT-Basic without violating law as well as city/county/hospital protocols.

I was a Paramedic (not an EMT-Basic) for Denver General hospital for 3 years in the mid 1990's and continued on various Fire Departments for an additional 3 years. I can personally state that Highway Patrol Officers are the lowest individuals in terms of ethics, morals and overall compassion for the citizenry of the state I worked in and with. They were always complete jerks everytime I had to deal with one.

One example, I responded to a call for a serious traffic accident on a highway. I was first on scene with my EMT and the Fire Engine that arrived on scene was not carrying a Paramedic (volunteer department). I parked my ambulance in the fast lane of the highway near the center median to give us protection from highway traffic.

The Highway Patrol Officer comes over to me and starts yelling in my face to immediately move my ambulance out of the fast line because I am causing a serious traffic jam. Well, since I had already made contact with the injured party and my EMT was caring for the other passenger of the car neither of us would have ben able to legally leave the patients side to move the ambulance.

Better yet (and I don't mean the patient's injuries) the car accident was quite serious and one patient was seriously injured. I stood up and looked that trooper in the face and said "Not only will I not move my ambulance but I just called 'Chopper Go' and Flight for Life will be landing on this highway in 10 minutes!"

You should have seen the look on his face. Because it is the State Troopers job to call for backup, shut the highway down, find a good Landing Zone (free of debris, Telephone or Electrical Wires) and direct the helicopter to the LZ.

I'm sad to say I wasn't able to thank him for his help that day.

Karb0n

reply to post by infidel666


I know Maurice White and one of the troopers. I was a paramedic in this state for 10 years. I trained under Maurice and I know the trooper from grappling tournaments and some training venues as a paramedic.

The OHP is out of control. I have been abused by them while on duty, physically and verbally. On one occasion I was shoved while providing care to a diabetic because the 'super' trooper thought he was intoxicated.

Glorified traffic cops in my humble opinion!

I believe this officer was in the wrong and put not only the life of the women in the ambulance and the driver by choking him but the person who the call he was going to came from

he overreacted and had a power trip and should be punished

There's the video, if i'm not mistaken. Disturbing stuff.


TA

I'm amazed that a cop on a code 3 would think he had the time to stop and deal with as trivial an insult to his author-ah-ti as a paramedic not pulling over for him.

Cops should know better than this. That is a small town and if that cop ever needs an ambulance he'll probably get the same paramedic to answer the call. Not a bright move on HiPo's part. And not necessary.

The cop could have gone around the paramedic and dealt with him later. After his all important code 3 call.

Thank you ATS. Glad to see this story going viral. I just emailed it with all the links and statement to both the paramedics in my family... In in charge Of a metro city.... .... If they tell something relevant I shall rely the message

Originally posted by xxpigxx

2.) This trooper screwed up in more ways than one.

Yep, you could say that. As a retired NR EMT-A, I can tell you that it is illegal to prevent an EMT from doing their job, at least in this state. That cop, and ANY of his buddies that helped him pull that stunt could be facing charges. They could also be facing a nasty law suit.

If it was me, I'd sue the CRAP out of them.

On edit, I also want to say that there is no set law in this state that demands either one to yield the right of way to the other.

[edit on 29-5-2009 by ShadowEyes]

Ok I just want to stress that this is a BIG BIG Story. You all understand the symbiotic relationship between Cops and EMS... They protect each other and save each other.... Maybe its different in other states and my only experience is with Texan cops and texas EMS... still When the police attack paramedics....

Does it not call attention to the big pink elephant in the middle of the room?

I mean they are shooting military, civilian, medical technician, basically anyone they feel is opposing their authority of which they feel is supreme....

If I had the phone number to that police department I would be sharing it with yall and calling them myself just to say WTF!?!

I am stunned and struck by their choice of targets today... I mean normally I of of the belief that this is the norm and I ask that you all join me in doing something about it... But this!!!

This isn't normal.. This was a cop attacking the person that will save HIS life when a perp shoots him in the line of duty... Only maybe the EMS might not considering the incident.... I mean I know its their job and duty and all ... but dang... Its way past time to address police brutality is it not?!?!

Before I add my comment, I'd like to point out the near black out by the different OK news websites, almost all of them only have 2-3 comments on the story if any and some aren't even posting the story anymore. This alone tells me all I need to know about mainstream news, their employees, and how miserably they have failed the public, their trade and themselves by marginalizing this story or making it appear that there really isn't hundreds if not thousands of people trying to sound off their outrage.

Incredulous!!!!!!! I have been a Paramedic for over 20 years. I have to say that I’m sick to my stomach watching this. Not just sick because of what the video shows, but because for years I was under the false assumption that we (EMS, Fire, Police) were all part of the same public safety system. And for years I turned a blind eye to police getting a punch in here or there on people they were arresting, or throwing handcuffed suspects around (in one instance breaking a homeless mans arm because he was sleeping in a park), and engaging in all different kinds of unethical and possibly illegal activity. I feel nothing but shame for my complicity and for not speaking out for the ones we were supoosed to be helping. A few years ago I began to wake up and see what was really going on and have noticed in my 20 years of dealing with these people that the intelligence level of the average cop has gone down, the level of professionalism has dropped, there is no more protect and serve types. And for those who say “they’re not all like this”, well when the good cops turn and look the other way or stay silent about wrong doings because they don’t want to be the snitch, then they are just as bad as the offending officers. And when the prosecutors don’t press charges against officers for activity that any lay person would be serving time for, then they are no better. And in this case, the DA is going to press charges against the Paramedic!?!?!?!? Absolute lunacy! Paramedics need to protest this. And that POS DA should be out of a job. This is so insane that it makes me want to rip my teeth out. As for this video, I wonder if the cop was just infuriated to have to come face to face with someone who IS a real hero, not just dressing up in a spiffy uniform and posing. The Paramedics and EMT’s of this country dedicate their lives to helping people, and they save lives on a daily basis. More and more cops only seem dedicated to disrupting lives and trying to see how many people will lick their boots and then call them Heroes. they have no interest in helping anyone but themselves and their infantile ego’s. This video is making rounds across the countries EMS stations, eyes are open. We all know what this is coming to, we all know what has to happen and what is probably going to happen. They are making their lists, are we? It may not be too long before the word INCREDULOUS becomes a part of the cops vocabulary.

Ok so this aint breaking news and not too many are concerned when the police ON A CALL... Pull over an AMBULANCE ON A CALL so that they can harass and beat them...

Have we all become so callous to the abuses of the police..

Man I thought more folks would of been going ape....

WE live in dark times indeed

sadly this has been going on for years , i allready know that certain uk ambulence service go slower when police are the ones needing treatment than an old lady with a heart attack.

reply to post by titorite


This is not really new in Oklahoma. I've been screaming for years that the cops (and judges) here are corrupt to the core. I have actual documentation and physical proof of their corruption in 3 different counties. Can't get the DA to pay a bit of attention.

I actually had a ADA tell me I had a "slam dunk case" but said that the DA office wouldn't prosecute. When I asked why he said, "it clogs up the court's time".

If you're not well connected and don't have bribe money....you're SOL.

I think when TSHTF these guys will be ripping off their badges and denying they were ever part of "Oklahoma's finest". They know they got some come-uppins that are way over due.

What video are you people watching? The paramedic elbowed the trooper IN THE THROAT! What did he expect would happen?

reply to post by Sonya610


I've done similar things to people who were interfering with my duty to protect my patients. I have a legal responsibility to the individual under my care whereas the Supreme Court has ruled that cops do NOT owe any legal obligation to individuals. Their obligation is to the public at large, not the individual.

If the cop was in such a big damn hurry to protect the public why didn't he just go around and deal with paramedic later? His code 3 was apparently so important that he had to take a little break from protecting the public to beat up and harass an individual trying to protect an individual.

Cops here suck!

Originally posted by fvk12
That police officer had somewhere very important to be..
Thats why he could take five minutes to stop and choke out a paramedic that was transporting a patient.

I agree, so the ambulance doesn't give you the right of way - big stinkin' deal! They have life and limb hanging by a thread in the back of their unit. LEO's don't carry around wounded people to get them to safety the medics do. They should always have complete right of way.

I think all medics out there get screwed both financially and through job status. These people keep us alive while taking us to medical facilities, what would we do without them? But yet they are the lowest paid in the industry. I remember wanting to be an EMT out of high school and finding out they were paid $6 per hour! But yet a rookie cop makes more.

That LEO had somewhere to go and he had to be there immediately. But he gets the shaft from an ambulance and decides to put his emergency on hold to start a fight. Freaking A!! If you want to start a fight follow the damn thing to the hospital and choke him there!! That poor lady in the back had to be thinking 'Oh lord I'm glad I'm not dying, otherwise I would be dead'.

Originally posted by Sonya610
What video are you people watching? The paramedic elbowed the trooper IN THE THROAT! What did he expect would happen?

I'm watching the same video you are watching. The cop grabs his wrist FIRST and tries to twist it, the guy just reacted with the elbow in self defense.

reply to post by Aliengurl


Yup your right..... and thats why Sonya610 is a great foe... Always willing to take the side of the bully always against the victims... Tsk tsk...

On a more topical note I am still waiting for the paramedics in my family to respond....

Still I can not believe that more folks are not talking about this story... Lord knows I have seen nothing on the national news MSM.... I guess its cause this is the type of story that could start riots....Big story.. gotta keep it suppressed so think the enemy.

[edit on 29-5-2009 by titorite]

Very interesting video.

Im trying to understand which is more important the police or the hospital services?

I find it quite concerning that the police would pull over an ambulance in transit with a patient and proceed to assault and arrest the driver (if thats who was being lifted).

These guys cant be fighting each other, if they do then where do we turn when we need to turn to someone, as these guys will be fighting with each other so there will be no one left to turn to, well other than the politicians and we dont want to be doing that now do we.

I played the video several times trying to listen to what the driver was saying.
The driver was telling the other Trooper that he wanted to press charges against the loud mouth trooper for assault and.....?

My father was in Law Enforcement when I was a child and from what I was told from others he was a true professional. He left his career when he was shot in our own back yard. Mom gave him the choice of family or police. Once a cop always a cop.

I respect true Law Enforcement Officers. What I witnessed in this video is a shame. This pompous loud mouth Trooper needs to be humbled and I hope the Justice system will work properly. The officer informed the driver that he would be arrested once the patient was delivered. I only hope cooler heads prevailed at the Hospital.

I think the Trooper should be suspended and re trained on professional conduct before he can be reinstated based on the video. If there is more to this incident than what is revealed in the video then it needs to be provided to the public.

What a shame

Man watching videos on a 56k connection is hard... especially when said video is being watched so much it is over whelming servers...

But I finally was able to watch it. The police WAS trying to arrest the paramedic caring for the patient in back. The paramedic was trying to explain that BUT the paramedic pointed his finger at the cop...The cop grabs his finger and executes the elbow move/wrist twist, meant to bring a perp into position to slap on the cuffs. The Paramedic responsible for the patient in transit would have none of it. He moved his elbow into the pigs throat (at this point that ain't a cop, its a pig). Then the other cop moved in from the side taking the paramedic off balance and chocked the paramedic.

DURING all this a thrid party was trying to move all three of them over to get inside the ambulance to protect the person in transit and it sounded to me as though they wanted to arrest the person in transit too.

At that point the video I watched ended... but I had seen enough.

Those cops will lose their job but worse then that, their faces and actions will become well known.... They are gonna need FBI protection...Shoot they need to leave the country...I mean could you imagine going to the movie theater or the grocery store and seeing one of those officers?

What would you do?

What would a gang member do?

Yikes.....Cops like that we just don't need but it seems more and more cops like that is all their are.