yaah, yeah.....you thought i as going to interject a steven segal pun....but no.....this shit is fucked up as it is funny.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4G37Ouy164
I hope this cop get charged with murder (patient in EMU).....and gets the chair....
http://www.sequoyahcountytimes.com/pages/full_story?article-EMT-%20cop%20face-off%20under%20investigation%20=&page_label=home&id=2727281&widget=push&instance=home_news_bullets&open=&
Maurice White, an emergency medical technician (EMT) involved in a May 24 confrontation with an Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) trooper, has hired an attorney.
The trooper, Daniel Martin, was put on paid administrative leave June 1, the Tulsa World reported Thursday.
White, who lives in Gore, is an EMT with the Creek Nation, and several years ago lobbied unsuccessfully for a government-funded ambulance service in Sequoyah County.
White reports
According to White, in a statement to the Creek Nation EMS, he and his partner, Paul Franks, were driving a heart patient on May 24 from Boley to the Prague hospital. White said he was sitting in the back of the ambulance with the patient.
White said an OHP car approached the ambulance at a fast rate of speed from the rear while both were passing through Paden. White said the OHP car was traveling with emergency lights on, but he heard no siren. The OHP car came within a few feet of the back bumper, White reported, which makes it hard for an ambulance driver to see because of the box design of the ambulance.
White said when he saw the OHP car about three feet from the ambulance’s rear bumper he told the driver to pull to the side.
Trooper reports
Trooper Martin’s story differs in several respects.
Martin, in his report to the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety, said he was on his way to a traffic stop that possibly involved a stolen vehicle. Martin’s report was obtained from the department through the Freedom of Information Act by Your TIMES.
Martin said the ambulance failed to yield to his emergency signals, both of which — lights and sirens — were activated. Martin said the ambulance did not pull over until he started to pass. Martin said he then contacted the Creek EMS on their frequency and told them they should be “more observant.”
Once he arrived at his destination, Martin said he found the situation under control, and then saw the ambulance pass. He reported the ambulance driver (Franks) “…extend his left hand with his middle finger raised as a gesture in response to my earlier broadcast over the radio. I took the gesture as a sign of defiance to failure to yield earlier….”
Martin said he got back into his car and followed and stopped the ambulance “with his red and blue lights still activated to initiate a traffic stop for failure to yield to an emergency vehicle. The ambulance pulled over to the shoulder.”
Surprised by broadcast
White’s said in his report that as the trooper passed the ambulance the trooper came over the radio with a state to the effect that “you should consider checking your rearview mirrors.” White said he was surprised at the “unprofessional” broadcast over an emergency frequency. He said about three blocks farther he saw the OHP car enter the road at a high rate of speed, cutting off the car driven by the patient’s family members who were following the patient to the hospital. The OHP car did have its lights and siren running, White said. Franks then pulled onto the shoulder and the OHP trooper pulled along side and gestured for the ambulance driver to pull over.
White said he noticed the trooper had a woman in his car, and, “Based on the officer’s erratic driving behavior,” he thought the woman needed immediate medical attention. Because of that White got out of the ambulance, he said, and the ambulance driver also got out.
Hostility reported
Martin reported that after the ambulance stopped he got out of his car and went toward the front of the ambulance to talk to the driver. He said he pointed at the driver and told him, “Here. Now!” He said White got out of the rear of the ambulance, slammed the door in “a hostile manner,” pushed past him and positioned himself between the trooper and ambulance driver.
Martin said White said to him that the trooper was to speak to him, not the driver, “because he was in charge….”
Martin said he ordered White to get back into the ambulance, but White continued to block his attempt to speak to the driver by standing between the driver and trooper.
‘Rage’ reported
In his report White said the trooper got out of his vehicle “in a state of rage. He approached my partner and yelled ‘get your _ _ _ back here! I am giving you a ticket for failure to yield.’” White said the officer added, “What do you mean flipping me off?”
White reported that when the officer passed the ambulance the first time Franks raised both hands in a gesture “signifying surprise” or “What did I do.” White said he suspected the officer may have misunderstood the gesture, and Franks did not make an obscene gesture at the trooper.
White said he explained to the officer that they were taking a patient to the hospital in Prague, but the officer ignored him. He said the officer “became even more belligerent” and demanded the driver go to the OHP car so he could write him a ticket.
White reported that he “calmly told the officer that we were transporting a patient and we could continue this at the hospital.” After further words White said the officer shouted at White that he was “under arrest for obstructing a police officer.” White said the officer grabbed his right arm. White said he asked the officer if he “was aware that he was committing a felony by assaulting a paramedic in the line of duty.”
Obstruction claimed
In his report, Martin said he ordered White to get into the ambulance but White continued to obstruct his attempt to talk to the driver. Martin said he told Franks he was going to issue him a citation for failure to yield to an emergency vehicle and that he did not appreciate the hand gesture. Martin said he ordered White to get back in the ambulance in an “aggressive tone and language in an attempt to get him to understand he needed to get back in the ambulance and stop obstructing.”
Martin said when he told Franks to come with him, White put his arm across Franks chest to stop him, and raised an arm toward the officer to keep Franks and the officer apart. Martin said he decided to take White into custody because of obstruction of the officer’s duties.
Because White had already “presented himself in a hostile manner and he…had hold of his arm, in order to place restraints on him.” He said White physically resisted him and shouted repeatedly that the officer was assaulting him. When Martin attempted again to take White into custody “he flexed his arms up to his chest preventing me from having control of his arm to place him in handcuffs.”
He said White backed up to the ambulance and kept his back against it, and continued to resist Martin’s attempt to handcuff him.
Felony alleged
White said when the officer grabbed his right arm he told the officer he was committing a felony by assaulting a paramedic in the line of duty. That seemed to make the officer “even more enraged,” White said, and the officer attempted to maneuver White’s right arm behind his back to handcuff him.
“After a brief struggle, I returned to the patient compartment to attend to the patient,” White reported.
White said the patient was visibly upset and White told a family member to stay with her. White said the officer then knocked loudly on the door and told White he was under arrest. White said he told the officer he had a patient to tend to but the officer grabbed him and pulled him from the ambulance.
The officer then “engaged my trachea in a claw-like grip digging his nail into my neck while partially shutting off my air supply. After ten to fifteen seconds he released his grip and told me we could continue with the transport…,” White reported.
White said he told the officer “fine,” and took the patient to the hospital.
Reports differ
Martin’s report differs again from White’s.
Martin said he called for assistance and White followed him to the OHP car. He said White did not seem as concerned with the patient as he had believed, but was more concerned with the crowd that had gathered. Martin reported, “It did not immediately become apparent that there was a dire emergency concern for the patient.” He said the ambulance was not operating with emergency lights or siren. Martin said he was not immediately informed there was a patient on board.
Martin said in his report that White “was more aggressive toward me contacting ‘his’ driver than delaying the patient from getting to a hospital.”
Martin said he noticed a crowd was gathering and people were saying their mother was in the ambulance and needed to get to the hospital.
“I thought it would be in the best interest of the patient and the growing hostilities of the crowd if I backed off to keep the situation from becoming violent,” Martin reported.
White got back into the rear of the ambulance, and Franks, who was calmer, apologized for not yielding, Martin said. Martin reported he decided not to issue a citation or written warning at the scene in order to not delay the ambulance any longer.
Martin said he returned to the rear of the ambulance and opened the door to tell White to go to the hospital and that he would take him into custody there. But White was not in the ambulance, and the patient was in the ambulance alone, Martin reported. Martin said he told the patient she would be taken to the hospital shortly.
Martin reported he went to the side of the ambulance and White was getting into ambulance through a side door. Martin said when he told White he was under arrest and would be taken into custody at the hospital, White became angry, threw what appeared to be a wallet on the floor and jumped out.
Martin said another trooper arrived and when White jumped out of the ambulance it appeared to be “in a hostile manner.” Another altercation followed, Martin reported.
He reported, “Mr. White took hold of my left arm. I immediately took hold of his arm to release his hold…ordering him to turn around. My OHP (hat) was knocked off.” Martin reported White put his right arm around his neck and held him close to him. He said both troopers tried to make White let go and ordered him to do so.
“I could see Mr. White was breathing hard and was growling, which I interpreted was intense anger,” Martin reported.
Because of the close quarters, against the ambulance, Martin said he put his hand around White’s neck in order to free himself.
“I put my hand around his throat trying to deplete his oxygen supply in hopes of getting free,” Martin reported.
Martin said both troopers shouted at White to calm down, and he seemed to do so. Martin noted that the patient’s family had again begun to crowd around the troopers and White. When he was able to get free, Martin said he and the other trooper released White, told him to get in the ambulance and go to the hospital. Martin said he and the other trooper followed the ambulance to the hospital.
Advice sought
While driving to the hospital, Martin contacted a supervisor. At the hospital, Martin said he learned there was no immediate replacement for White as a paramedic and if White was taken into custody it would shut down the ambulance service to Okfuskee County residents.
“After a discussion with the DA’s office and supervisors, it was decided for the concern of the community’s well being that Mr. White would not be taken into custody so that he could continue his duties which would allow the ambulance to remain in service,” Martin reported.
Martin said it was decided that charges would be filed against White with the district attorney’s office in Okfuskee County. Martin said family members and witnesses at the scene refused to give written statements. Franks did provide a written statement.
Investigation Underway
Thomasine Gouge, Creek Nation spokesman, said last week that White is still employed with the Creek Nation EMS, and no action is planned until an investigation is completed.
“Chief A.D. Ellis is not allowing us to say too much,” Gouge said. “As far as the tribe is concerned, we are going to wait until everything is settled and the internal investigation complete.”
Gouge said, “There have been no charges filed that I am aware of.”
Richard O’Carroll, a Tulsa attorney, has been retained by White as his attorney, O’Carroll confirmed. O’Carroll said White has issued a statement, but that statement has not yet been received by Your TIMES.
The OHP said Martin is on paid leave while the investigation continues, and said this was normal policy for an investigation and was not punishment, the Tulsa World reported.
Family members of the patient videoed the confrontation and uploaded the video to YouTube on the Internet. Last week the video was one of most viewed.
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