OHP vs. EMT: Oklahoma Trooper assualts on-duty EMT while patient lingers...

*********************************************************************************************************************
UPDATE: Fox News interviews the patient in the back of the ambulance (July 11, 2009):

http://www.foxnews.com/video2/video08.html?maven_referralObject=677...

*******************************************************************************************************************

I'd like you to consider this:

This OHP v. EMT incident has received national attention. YouTube has the incident footage rated as the #2 all-time viewed on the site. Fox News today (Sat. June 13th, 2009) has expressed outrage at the officer's actions. As more Americans learn of the incident, more outrage and attention is being displayed. *** My point is this:

A window of opportunity has emerged for the EMS field.

If we can all take a moment to rise above the emotion of this incident, we can educate and sway the hearts and minds of Americans to the following points:

1. The patient's safety and well-being was put at risk by the officer's actions. As a medical professional, it was Medic White's DUTY to ensure the patient's care. When doctors or EMTs are restricted from this duty, we all are at risk.

2. Medic White's words/actions/demeanor was and is absolutely flawless. It's the officer who appears as the crazed maniac. By keeping a professional face, Medic White was able to show the world that EMS is a profession with the highest standards. This will most certainly affect the outcome of his case.

3. An EMT is an agent of the public's safety. As with medical doctors, all citizens should be aware and support the duty of such EMS professionals when a medical incident arises. The image and reputation of the medical doctor continues to be regarded in a high manner, and we now have an opportunity to elevate EMS closer to that position.

Of course all of us have read incidents where an EMS professional failed to rise to the standards of the profession. Here we have a case where EMS has exceeded those standards. We need to announce this incident to the world. I hope Medic White is rewarded for his professionalism, but I further hope that EMS is rewarded for the high standards that most of us adhere to every day.

Please make sure you tell your friends and family about this incident. Medic White kept his professional demeanor under some of the most difficult circumstances.

It can only help our profession.

From the San Francisco Examiner: Why should cops be treated with more respect than Medics?!?

http://www.examiner.com/x-536-Civil-Liberties-Examiner~y2009m6d15-W...

UPDATED VIDEO: http://www.wusa9.com/news/columnist/blogs/2009/06/prosecutor-blasts...

Tags: assault, ems, emt, highway, maurice, medic, oklahoma, paramedic, patient, patrol

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Lee on June 15, 2009 at 3:30pm: We might also consider this:

A person cannot fight and argue by themselves. It takes at least two.

1. The trooper was pissed and off the deep end when he pulled the ambulance over. He was looking to chew some butt. Maybe he was trying to impress his wife who was in the car with him. For whatever reason, the trooper handled this situation badly from the start. He potentially put the patients life in danger, by stopping the ambulance for something he perceived the driver/operator had gestured. Shame on him for starting this incident.

2. The medic comes out of the back of the ambulance almost before the trooper is out of his car. His concern should be for the patient he left unattended in the back of the ambulance. In my service, the In Charge is in charge of the patient care first, and to a lesser extent, the operation of the unit. The driver operator is responsible for the safe efficient operation of the unit. The In Charge never leaves the patient unattended, end of story. The medic potentially put his patients life in danger, because he was not with her. Shame on him for escalating this incident.

3. The trooper gets angrier and wilder, and yells louder. How dare this person confront me and tell me who I can or cannot talk to! I am the law, with the badge and gun. I have big cahones!! I will arrest you!
Misdemeanor potential for interfering with patient care.

4. Medic tries to stay arms length away from the trooper, but in doing so, puts his hand on the chest of the trooper. By definition, he just assaulted the officer. The yelling and tussling back and forth, and bumping the side of the ambulance, I'm sure had a calming effect on the patient in the back. NOT!

I hope this sets an example for all public service agencies of how not to handle a situation. I think the DA was caught between the proverbial "rock and a hard place". If he follows the law, he would have to file charges on both of them. But he didn't think that it would serve the public's interest and decided not to file on either of them.

The trooper was the instigator and antagonist. But the medic must also bear some responsibility for this seemingly simple traffic stop into something which could have ended very tragically ... It takes two.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Tom Durkee, MPH MBA MHCA EMT-P on June 15, 2009 at 4:01pm: Trooper Martin's attorney has stated that Martin acted in such a manner because he recently returned from duty in Iraq. Could Trooper Martin suffer from PTSD?? I don't know, but his actions certainly suggest it. Should the State of Oklahoma be liable for hiring a State cop without vetting his mental health? I think the lesson here is, Medics can encounter situations where a calm demeanor and level head can diffuse even the most tense situations. Maybe Medic White needed to recognize that Trooper Martin was having a mental issue. But I can say that if I were faced with a similar situation, I'm not sure I would have been able to keep my cool as well at White did.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Lee on June 15, 2009 at 5:19pm: Well that might explain some things, if it is accurate. I will agree that the medic was a lot calmer than I would would have been. My personal experiences with OHP troopers though, leads me to believe they probably take a class at the academy, in being a posterior orifice.I would like to think however, that after the brew ha ha has died down, the both of them might be able to sit down together in private (maybe with a cold one or two) and decide that it was silly to let something so insignificant start a major battle.

Tom Durkee, MPH MBA MHCA EMT-P said:
Trooper Martin's attorney has stated that Martin acted in such a manner because he recently returned from duty in Iraq. Could Trooper Martin suffer from PTSD?? I don't know, but his actions certainly suggest it. Should the State of Oklahoma be liable for hiring a State cop without vetting his mental health? I think the lesson here is, Medics can encounter situations where a calm demeanor and level head can diffuse even the most tense situations. Maybe Medic White needed to recognize that Trooper Martin was having a mental issue. But I can say that if I were faced with a similar situation, I'm not sure I would have been able to keep my cool as well at White did.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Tom Durkee, MPH MBA MHCA EMT-P on June 15, 2009 at 5:46pm: UPDATE, June 15th, 3pm: Trooper Martin's attorney calls Medic White "A DANGER TO SOCIETY". This story is becoming absolutely ridiculous: http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=12&articl...

take a look at the comments... it looks like the good citizens of Oklahoma are just as outraged as we are.
-Tom (follow me on TWITTER!! @umtomcat); ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Tom Durkee, MPH MBA MHCA EMT-P on June 15, 2009 at 6:09pm: VIDEO: Legal analysis Irven Box answers some legal questions on the Trooper vs. EMT scuffle:

http://www.news9.com/Global/category.asp?C=116601&autoStart=tru...

it's a quick video worth watching.
-Tom (www.linkedin.com/in/tomdurkee); ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Kevin Collopy on June 16, 2009 at 1:24pm: Rather than sitting and stewing over an incident like this, we need to ask ourselves how to (1) prevent this from happening again, and (2) figure out what lessons EMS can make from it.

One thing that strikes me is how quickly the paramedic leaves the back of teh ambulance. If this were any other vehicle and someone jumped out as soon as pulled over, an officer is likely to pull a weapon out. It is in appropriate for any EMS provider to jump out so quickly. A more appropriate action would have been to wait unti the officer approached the ambulance's driver door and then ask if you can come around to speak with him as the crew chief.

Why was no EMS supervisor on the scene? It did not appear one was requested. This type of incident needs a supervisor dispatched ASAP.

Anyone with EVOC or CEVO can agree that the officer's rate of speed was beyond the commonly accepted 10mph over the posted limit commonly accepted.

I agree with Lee's second point. That is a huge issue in my mind especially as the medic spoke during his interview about how terified the patient must have been.

White should not have put his arm out to keep distance when the officer tried to put his hands behind his back. That is resistance and could get him in trouble.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by paramedicforfun on June 17, 2009 at 10:14pm: Yeah, this has been blown wide open. I knew this wouldn't go away quietly. I actually rode with "Mo" as a paramedic student several years ago. He is a cool guy, and I think handled himself quite well. I can understand him coming out the back, he most likely heard the officer yelling and stepped out, it's not like the guy was quiet and the back isn't exactly sound proof. Yeah, he shouldn't have put his hands on the officer, but he did that just trying to get some space, if he wanted to really hurt the guy, he could have done that earlier, I mean look at the size difference. Gun or not, when you're that close to a person, it's a physical confrontation, not necessarily a weapon confrontation. (yeah, I work for a police dept.) Apparantly the patient was very stable, because they weren't running with lights/sirens. If the patient were that deliecate, I know Mo wouldn't have left her unattended. I have stepped out of the back when the patient is very stable, and I would do it again if I thought my partner was being hassled by either family, bystander, or anyone else. It's nice to see us being truly professional. I can only hope that this ugly incident can be resolved because it really isn't doing anyone any good.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Tom Durkee, MPH MBA MHCA EMT-P on June 18, 2009 at 1:42am: The whole point of starting this discussion was not to argue the merits of the medic vs. the ridiculous actions of the Trooper. I believe there are enough discussions on this point, and I believe most fair-minded rational people understand that Medic White rose to the occasion and exhibited a professional demeanor throughout the incident. That's not the point of this discussion. The point I want to discuss is, WHERE are our leaders in EMS, and why aren't they using the loudest megaphone to extol the reputation of EMS, to demonstrate to the public that Medic White is but one of many professional pre-hospital clinicians, and to show that our field is one that, despite the most difficult of circumstances, we continuously act with the most professional of standards while protecting the health & safety of our patients. Where are you, Mr. Cherry? Mr. Kirkwood? Mr. Porter? Mr. Dubin?? Why aren't you on TV, newspapers, hell--TWITTER convincing the public that EMS professionals are charged with protecting our patients sometimes under the most extreme circumstances. In Maurice White we have a shining EXAMPLE of professionalism under stress. Paging Dr. Bledsoe? Dr. Cantor? Your silence is deafening. Yet when a Paramedic or EMT gets caught acting unprofessionally, it is all over the news and we are left defending our profession.

All of us complain that we in EMS aren't always held up to the same regard as doctors and nurses. Yet we must endure extenuating circumstances to serve as our patient's keeper. The public's response to the OHP v. EMT incident has been clear: when anyone, including a cop, interferes with our duty to protect and serve the patient, the public's safety is jeapordized. And the public counts on us to protect them during some of their most vulnerable moments: when they are flat on their back tied-up on a cot inside the back of an ambulance. Like physicians, we must attend to our patient no matter the circumstances. Now comes Medic White, whose duty was challenged, yet remained stoic and professional throughout the incident. You would think that our EMS leaders would use this example to demonstrate our mission and standards to the public. Are you there, Jerry Johnston? Pat Moore? Connie Meyer?? Yet.... nothing. Nothing from NAEMT Advocacy Committee Chair Kurt Krumperman (kurt.krumperman@gmail.com), nothing from Will Chapleau (wchapleau@aol.com) and nothing from NAEMSE president Angel Burba (aburba@naemse.org), Donna Tidwell (Donna.G.Tidwell@state.tn.us), Walt Stoy (stoywa@msx.upmc.edu), Linda Honeycutt (linda.honeycutt@healthstream.com), or our new NAEMSE president-elect Chris Nolette (chris.nolette@rcc.edu).

Am I wrong here?? Or should our leaders step up and use this incident to elevate the reputation of EMS, and to show others in our field that Medic White is the very example of professionalism under fire. THAT's what I was hoping to discuss when I started this discussion.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Kevin Collopy on June 18, 2009 at 7:49am: You raise a wonderful yet sad point! Not one industry leader is out there right now, not one advocacy group has spoken out. If this were a fire service wow would it be different...; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Doug Martin on June 18, 2009 at 8:08am: I'm in agreement that the trooper had lost control of his emotions and was acting irrationally. Calling it PSTD is, IMHO, a bunch of crap that was put out there to win the trooper some sympathy.

However, the medic is not blameless in this. He escalated the situation by jumping out of the ambulance when he could have just let the trooper puff out his chest and addressed the situation once the call was complete. The patient's family did nothing wrong, but once they were out and added the mix the already irrational trooper probably felt like he was losing control of the situation and he escalated further.

The medic also showed (again my opinion) a complete disregard for his patient by leaving her unattended. This whole thing had to be extremely unsettling for her. I hate to think that there was an elderly woman with chest pain or a hip fx lying in the back of that truck.

I agree with Lee that it takes two to argue. Personally, I think the driver was the ONLY one that was handling the situation properly, by just saying "Yes Sir / No Sir" and keeping his opinion of the trooper to himself until a later time. He, not the medic, should be held up as the example of how to handle a situation.

Choose your battles, kids!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Lee on June 18, 2009 at 10:51am: "If this were a fire service wow would it be different"

Kevin, I disagree. Had this involved a fire department, (and it does happen) there might be a statement from the departments Chief, but not much would be said by the fire department guru's such as Haltom, Brunicinni, Laskey, etc. What really jumps out to me is there hasn't been many, if any, comments made on the medic's behalf by his own supervisors. Perhaps they (admistration) wish for the entire subject to be over with. It happened, we will handle it in house, and what we do about it is none of your business.

Tom, When one rises to the level of a Dr. Bledsoe, or Chief Brunicinni, one tends to be a little more reserved when making comments. As Doug put it "choosing their battles". That is not to say that all of the Fire and EMS Gods haven't formed an opinion in this matter, and may at some point come out with a paper discussing many of the points already stated. Knowing many of these individuals, I would imagine they may probably put in in a "lessons learned" format.

Negativity will always win out when it comes to the media. Rallying everyone to step up and say, Hey look everyone. Look at how professional modern day EMS is. Shine the spot light over here, can be a double edged sword. In the short term, John Q Public will see that how professional we are under dire circumstances. But it will also put us under even more scrutiny by the public and the media, which in the long term, will start exposing more faults, which will lead to more negative publicity, which in turn causes more rules and laws made, which in turn causes the profession to come out and say, "Look at how professional modern day EMS is, and how we have made changes, which in turn.... It just continues to come full circle and start over again.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Roger Hall on June 22, 2009 at 1:06pm: The EMT was taking care of the patient, the officer was in the wrong. Its the officers job to make sure the emt is safe. He should not be touching the emt while he is taking care of a patient. There needs to be better cooperation between the police and the ambulance crews.; ▶ Reply to This