More on the State Trooper, Ambulance
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.”
In other words, the trooper was so upset about the incident he was waiting for the ambulance to pull them over.
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.
This is all too typical. Claim that the person the police are roughing up did something where we have only the police officers’ involved word for it. However, we have another witness besides the EMT, the camera man (whose mother was being transported),
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.
[…]
“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.
[…]
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.
Right. Now I wouldn’t be at all surprised that the dash-cam video footage gets “lost” or is never released. I wouldn’t also be surprised to find out that the additional wittness is harassed.
And there is yet more,
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.”
I don’t know if there is anything significant omitted from the above, but I imagine the LEO view is that those laws apply to civilians not LEOs, after all they are LEOs and thus above civilians…hence the distinction.
“after all they are LEOs and thus above civilians…”
“””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””
So, when did we start believing this?
Cop = Civilian on patrol
To Serve and protect
I thought that was constable on patrol.
Remember, there’s cops and there’s little people.
It’s not that we believe it, floyd. It’s that many LEOs appear to believe it.
if what was stated about the two emergency vehicles is true ( operative word being true) then the police car with his lights on has the right of way since the ambulance did not have his on. The ambulance should have pulled to the right and slowed or stopped to let the officer around him safely. Had the ambulance had his lites on then the officer had no standing. All vehicles are supposed to yield to emergency vehicles when lights or lights and siren are on regardless of who you are or what you are driving.
At this point, who would you be more likely to believe? The state trooper or the EMT…
I don’t know ask the cops, its their mindset, not mine.
Sarg,
Yes, I agree…in a perfect world the ambulance moves to the side to let the police car go by. We don’t live there and people make mistakes, dumb mistakes, honest mistakes, etc. The police should not have acted the way they did, it was excessive and stupid.
AIP,
I’m going with the EMT right now. I’d love to see what the dashboard camera shows, but I’m thinking it wont be released…which will tell me it cuts against the cops.
I too would like to see what the dashboard camera shows. Unlike Steve who has been quick to judge and condemn LEOs in the past, I want to see the evidence to get the whole picture. That said so far it sounds like the Officer was not professional and “if†the dashboard camera shows he was out of line, he should be punish. I am one of those if a LEO is caught abusing his power he should be fired and charges brought against him. However LEOs do work in a dangerous environment and civilians need to be compliant. If not then I don’t have much sympathy for them when things turns south. They of course can overdue it but the scene should be in context of what could have happen not necessarily what did happen. For example reaching under your seat to get your wallet is innocent but to an LEO you may be pulling a gun. LEO pulling his gun is reasonable. Shooting you is not.
The EMS deal should have been easy situation to solve. They weren’t running lights so unless they miss up, it was a non emergency transport which mean they had time to talk to the Officer. The fact that more than just the driver was talking to the Officer makes me wonder if the EMT was pushing the matter as well That said the Officer should have look and saw the patient then told the EMS crew to watch their mirrors in the future. The crew should have said yes sir and everybody go on their way, although the better way would have been for the Officer who sounds like a hothead to let it go with the radio comments. Hopefully they review more than the one incident on his dashboard cam. If he is a hothead he needs to be fired.
And I believe in the Tooth Fairy.
If only this were true. Usually the LEO has the backing by his superiours, peers, union, and city officials, even when there is pretty good evidence that the LEO is deserving of being fired.
Uhhmmmm no. Us mere civilians have rights and we should be allowed to exercise them even with police officers. This includes photographing the police while working, video tapping them, and even refusing some of their demands if there is justification to do so (e.g. producing ID, granting permission for searches, etc.). To always be compliant is to live in a police state and I reject it completely.
“And I believe in the Tooth Fairy.â€
I am not sure where you are coming from with that statement. Surely you don’t believe he was being profession or if he wasn’t he shouldn’t be punish. Perhaps you misread my statement and thought I said he “would†be punished. Yes LEOs like many professions such as teachers are hard to fire\discipline because of powerful organizations backing them. That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t’ be punish or that people shouldn’t try to break that system. Understandably these profession are difficult to monitor since there are always complaints about them with most of the complaints being unfounded. Unfounded complaints contribute to the problem with punishing misdeeds and that why we should be careful not to do that.
I person should feel free to not give permission for searches or video tape police while working in most cases. Videotaping security procedures for such things as protecting the President is one exception. The problem with most people is that they think are always in the right and get belligerent with the police without any consideration to the LEO’s responsibilities in maintaining a safe environment. It is easy to lose control of a situation when people are being belligerent.
An LEO has special responsibilities therefore have special rights. They can conduct an unwarranted search if they believe there is imminent danger. Anyone interfering with search even if they are in the right for not having the search conducted are in the wrong for interfering with the Officer. If the Officer is wrong for conducting the search, they should be punished though the proper channels.
I had no idea that we lived in a police state and should do whatever we are told by LEOs…
AIP
The next time an Officer directs me around an accident, I’ll drive right past him. After all we don’t live in a police state and I have a right to go where I want and I’m a good enough driver to not hit safety personnel. (Sarcasm off)
This particular case goes far beyond a LEO simply directing someone around traffic…indeed, the behavior of this LEO just proves that it is not a good idea to have a blanket behavior of civilians being complaint…
“this LEO just proves that it is not a good idea to have a blanket behavior of civilians being complaint…â€
How so? Surely you are not saying the EMTs on a non emergency transport with no sirens shouldn’t have pulled over? Perhaps you are saying if you don’t like a LEO’s attitude then you should escalate the situation even to the point of it being dangerous instead of going through the proper channels to have him discipline?