Oklahoma cop pulls ambulance over; puts EMT in chokehold while patient

[sweetsam]

+1. Wow he thought about using deadly force because somebody transporting a patient to a hospital did not yield ? This guy really needs to get his head checked.

... If those officers aren't fired, something's completely wrong.

[H82LUZ]

Why is it the black guy in the back is getting arrested not the white driver,Notice they all have white cops there ....Seems like a racist thing to me.

Also if he assaulted the cop how,You see the car is parked behind the Ambulance the dash cam is going to see the kid that captured it standing in front of it,Now maybe the guy in the back opened the back door and hit the cop standing there by accident,But that is no excuse for the arrest.

Edited May 28, 2009 by H82LUZ

[Eric Veteran]

+1. Wow he thought about using deadly force because somebody transporting a patient to a hospital did not yield ? This guy really needs to get his head checked.

He just needs to get his head checked into a federal prison... and the family of the patient needs to sue the HP for endangering her life.

[soonerproud]

Are all you people over there that crazy? :p Just teasing ya. :)

Nail on head!

Nuff said

Cheers! :pint:

Oklahoma cops are douchebags. An me and an ex were on a roadtrip back to my home state, and traffic on the interstate thru Oklahoma was horrible. This highway patrol cop came flying up behind us, without his lights on, and gets right on our ass...then kicks his lights on a few minutes later. We pull over and the cop comes to a skidding stop, bumps us with his car as he's stopping, and just gets out to yell and bitch at us how we're supposed to 'get out of the way of a police vehicle'. Before we even have a chance to say anything, he then runs and hops back in his car, speeds off, leaving us sitting there wondering what the hell that was all about. Turns out there was a semi pile-up further up the road a few miles, but we had no way of knowing that, because the moron wasn't following normal emergency response procedures.

Believe me when I say that most Troopers and Cops here are good people. Just like every where else, there are a few douchebags that make them all look like crap. Having been in all but three of the 48 contiguous states I can tell you first hand that there are douchbag Cops every where. (Former OTR truck driver for 5 years.)

[carmatic]

the video started off calmly enough... if the paramedic really did assault the police officer before the beginning of the video, they must have some really cool nerves which they suddenly lost when they grabbed the paramedic...

[Denis W. Veteran]

The officers must have a giant stick up their rear for throwing a hissy fit over a middle finger.

Normal citizen getting the finger: Flip him back, or ignore it and drive on.

Cop: Arrest time. :rolleyes:

[SierraSonic]

I wanna see the dashcam video.

[HeartsOfWar]

I have a friend who drive an ambulance in Minnesota. He said that even though it's an emergency vehicle, they are still subject to all normal laws. They are not supposed to speed, run lights/stop signs, etc. So, technically, the State Patrol can pull them over for not yielding the right-of-way to the patrol car.

BUT, they are complete douchebags for what they did and should be severely disciplined. At a minimum, no promotions for their career. They should lose their jobs for being peckerheads.

No offense, but I call BS on that...

How many times do Ambulances blow through red lights? How many times do they force people to yield to them? How many times do they drive on a median / through a turn lane to avoid traffic? Is any of that following "normal laws"? no...

Any vehicle classified as an emergency vehicle does not, will not, and should not abide by "normal laws" when they're responding to a call with their lights and siren on.

Bottom line, if the ambulance had its lights on and siren running, the cops were just being totally moronic. They could have followed the ambulance, and taken care of their business after the citizen was safely getting medical attention at the hospital.

EDIT

---------

I Just re-watched the video and the ambulance does not have its lights or siren on. It's quite possible the vehicle was turned off, but unlikely as they were transporting a patient in the back. I'm thinking the ambulance is partially at fault now...

The cops were definitely wrong to continue the debate after they discovered a patient was in the back, but the EMT driver should of followed standard protocol with the lights and sirens.

Another reason why the lights and sirens on all emergency classified vehicles should be remotely controlled by the associated emergency dispatch team. One less thing to distract the driver of the emergency vehicle, and quite possibly could prevent all this crap.

Edited May 28, 2009 by HeartsOfWar

[mokthraka]

im kind of sick of cops like this

I have wanted to be a cop(or go into construction managment) but it ****es me off when cops do stuff like this

[*RedBull*]

Time for the Judge Dredd Corp. Time to Police the Police.

[Dane]

No offense, but I call BS on that...

How many times do Ambulances blow through red lights? How many times do they force people to yield to them? How many times do they drive on a median / through a turn lane to avoid traffic? Is any of that following "normal laws"? no...

Any vehicle classified as an emergency vehicle does not, will not, and should not abide by "normal laws" when they're responding to a call with their lights and siren on.

Bottom line, if the ambulance had its lights on and siren running, the cops were just being totally moronic. They could have followed the ambulance, and taken care of their business after the citizen was safely getting medical attention at the hospital.

EDIT

---------

I Just re-watched the video and the ambulance does not have its lights or siren on. It's quite possible the vehicle was turned off, but unlikely as they were transporting a patient in the back. I'm thinking the ambulance is partially at fault now...

The cops were definitely wrong to continue the debate after they discovered a patient was in the back, but the EMT driver should of followed standard protocol with the lights and sirens.

Another reason why the lights and sirens on all emergency classified vehicles should be remotely controlled by the associated emergency dispatch team. One less thing to distract the driver of the emergency vehicle, and quite possibly could prevent all this crap.

The ambulance could have been had the lights off while they were stopped. No reason to have them on when you have a **** load of police around you.

If the ambulance was driving ahead of the police car, then the officer should have given the RIGHT OF WAY to the ambulance, the ambulance had priority since it was first. Most ambulances can only go the wrong way for one city block. Here in PA they CANNOT exceed the speed limit (although no one really follows that one). They shouldn't be held to the normal law. Here we have buttons to turn red lights green from a great distance away. When you approach an intersection thats red for you, change the siren to something different STOP LOOK, LOOK AGAIN, go slowly with the siren on, once through, change the siren to something different.

[macrosslover]

I doubt the DA is that stupid, he has to be re-elected to. I'm sure they are going to hope this goes away quietly but thanks to the internet I think there are going to be a few police openings in that city.

[Neztea]

Wow, That is just complete crap. I hope that the cops really do get fired, sued, and homeless after a stunt like that :s

Neztea

[Umbrello]

Wow, you definitely can't choke a man like that.

This guy's career is done.

[ozgeek]

I Just re-watched the video and the ambulance does not have its lights or siren on. It's quite possible the vehicle was turned off, but unlikely as they were transporting a patient in the back. I'm thinking the ambulance is partially at fault now...

My father is a Queensland paramedic and I have had many rides in his ambulances. They only operate the sirens when in an emergency. Ambulances have many uses other than emergencies...

- transporting patients between hospitals (I was one of those patients)

- tending to home-bounded patients

- transporting patients from home or care-centres to other medical or care centres or hospitals.

And in 99% of those cases are NOT emergencies, just that ambulances have medical functions.

And ambulances are classified emergency vehicles and thus have proirty of the road use and thus legally allowed to ignore road rules (only when sirens are on).

[Berserk87]

he pulls over an ambulance and arrests the driver......what the ****.

[Green_Eye]

words escape me... such pathetic abuse of power!

[zeta_immersion]

this is bull**** man ....

a cop at most should have given him a warning or talk to him ...

there is no need to pull over an ambulance, the people that actually save lives, cops are just to protect .... paramedics to save and firfighters to save also , but cops ... pfffff ... lame asses with guns that ..

fire him

[sujmano]

... If those officers aren't fired, something's completely wrong.

+1

[Raa]

There was a bun-fight about this sort of thing here in Aus last year. Apparently the cops wanted to introduce law that stopped any ambulance from speeding even in an emergency. It got knocked down, but how crazy is that? We're trying to save lives, and they want to hamper that ability :|

Standard procedure is (in Australia) any valid emergency vehicle operating lights AND siren does not have to obey the standard road rules. Unless that is followed, then it's game over.

The DA wouldn't be filing charges if they knew they were in the wrong, I'd say we only have half a side of the story here...

[sujmano]

There was a bun-fight about this sort of thing here in Aus last year. Apparently the cops wanted to introduce law that stopped any ambulance from speeding even in an emergency. It got knocked down, but how crazy is that? We're trying to save lives, and they want to hamper that ability :|

Standard procedure is (in Australia) any valid emergency vehicle operating lights AND siren does not have to obey the standard road rules. Unless that is followed, then it's game over.

The DA wouldn't be filing charges if they knew they were in the wrong, I'd say we only have half a side of the story here...

yea i've seen fire engines driving the wrong way in peak hour traffic, to be honest i don't think most people mind if emergency vehicles don't follow road rules because its precisely that and emergency, the cops are idiots for suggesting such a law i mean what's the intended purpose and whats to say that they shouldn't have a similar law as well, but ambulance should have had their sirens on.

[p858snake]

Question Raised In Trooper, Paramedic Dispute

UNDATED - There are more details about a confrontation earlier this week between an Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper and a paramedic in Okfuskee County. The incident was caught on tape as the trooper accuses the ambulance driver of not pulling over when the patrol car was trying pass him. What does the law say about who has the right of way?

It was Sunday along Highway 62 in Paden. Kenyada Davis is behind the cell phone camera. His mother was being transported by Muscogee Creek Nation EMS to a hospital in Prague.

5/27/2009 Related story: Trooper, Paramedic Fight Caught on Tape

In a statement obtained by The News On 6, paramedic Maurice White said the patrol car came within three feet of the ambulance with its lights on, eventually passing while telling the driver over the emergency radio: "You should consider checking you rearview mirrors."

After taking care of the original call, the trooper waited for the ambulance and pulled it over. White says in his statement: "The officer got out of his vehicle in a state of rage."

*

Read the Paramedic's Report

*

Read a witness's statement

A witness, who declined to go on camera, told The News On 6 the same story.

"He was yelling, screaming. He was irrational to me," said witness Diana Walkup.

OHP says before the home video was recording, the paramedic assaulted the state trooper. But, Diana Walkup says the paramedic never touched anyone until the patrolman grabbed his arm.

She says it was the trooper who was out of control.

"We thought, my God, is he going to pull a gun? That's really what we thought. We didn't know if he was fixing to pull a gun or what," said witness Diana Walkup.

So, who had the right of way? The Creek Nation admits the ambulance did not have on its lights and sirens, while the trooper had on his lights, but no sirens.

The News On 6 couldn't find anything that gives one emergency vehicle the right of way over another, but we did find one state law that says: "Every person who willfully delays...an emergency medical technician...in the performance of...care and treatment...is guilty of a misdemeanor."

Investigators aren't commenting, but Diana Walkup believes the trooper was out of line.

"I was horrified. I couldn't believe it. These gentlemen were trying to do their job and they were held up," said witness Diana Walkup.

The trooper's dash-cam video is in the custody of an assistant district attorney in Okfuskee County. She says it will not be released because it's part of the investigation.

Watch the raw footage of the fight captured on a camera phone.

SourcE: News on Six

[spy beef]

It's the paramedic's fault for not turning on the siren or light. If the lights and sirens were on, I think the trooper would've yielded for the ambulance. The paramedic should be fired.

[Raa]

Disagree. Nobody was operating both lights AND siren. The ambulance is already on the road, therefore does NOT have to give way. The trooper should be fired.

[Dane]

Disagree. Nobody was operating both lights AND siren. The ambulance is already on the road, therefore does NOT have to give way. The trooper should be fired.

AND charged, reckless endangerment of another person, assault and battery, excessive force, terrorist threats, disorderly conduct.