Did a FDNY EMT Assault a Patient? The NY Post is there!

[JPINFV]

http://www.nypost.com/seven/02252008/news/..._suit_99239.htm

February 25, 2008 -- An FDNY emergency medical technician turned the Hippocratic Oath on its ear, slugging a restrained patient in the face during a ride to Kings County Hospital, a $2 million suit alleges.

Dennis Mathis, 25, was strapped onto a stretcher last Dec. 1 when he incurred the wrath of an EMT by drooling on him, according to the suit.

"My son was face down and the EMS worker was trying to put an oxygen mask on him, and I heard him yelling and screaming that he was choking," said Mathis' distraught mother, Stephanie Bethean.

The suit identifies Tyler Argerosios as the EMT. An FDNY spokesman said the department has no record of such an employee, but does have a Tyler Argeroplos.

Attempts to reach Argeroplos were unsuccessful.

An unidentified police officer inside the ambulance witnessed the attack but did nothing, the suit says. Bethean claims her son suffered a broken jaw.

The city Law Department declined to comment in detail, since it had not yet seen the suit.

With bonus points of people talking about their "experience" [complete with medics missing veins on purpose for "revenge"] with combative patients on Fark.

http://forums.fark.com/cgi/fark/comments.pl?IDLink=3425147

[JPINFV]

Now, I'll be the first to claim that the story is full of holes [the patient drooled on the EMT? Where exactly was the EMT, on the ground?], but it doesn't exactly help. Nor do the people posting unflattering actions in the Fark.com thread for this article.

[Dustdevil]

Spitting is assault.

Punching him out is self-defence.

FDNY will settle for the big bucks, so the lowlife can go buy a month's worth of crack, but criminally, I see no case.

[EMTrocker]

Spitting is assault.

Punching him out is self-defence.

FDNY will settle for the big bucks, so the lowlife can go buy a month's worth of crack, but criminally, I see no case.

Are you a lawyer???

[p3medic]

I would agree completely Dust, if the patient weren't restrained. He broke the 11th Commandment, "Thou shall not get caught."

[EMS Solutions]

Maybe he didnt tip the EMT

[Just Plain Ruff]

if he was restrained face down how did the medic hit him hard enough to break his jaw.

and if the cop saw it and did nothing then I'd think that the officer saw no wrong doing. or was the cop merely taking care of one their own?

Full of holes, yeah, full of holes.

Let's let this one play out before we make judgements.

[Dustdevil]

Are you a lawyer???

Closer than you'll ever come.

[Just Plain Ruff]

Are you a lawyer???

HOW DARE THEE QUESTION THE GREAT ONE - DUSTDEVIL Off with your head.

[Eydawn]

I actually have to question Dust as well. If the guy was just spitting, why couldn't a mask be used? What's with punching the guy in the face? There's certain situations where emphatic self defense is warranted, but if there really was a cop present, why couldn't a different modus operandi have been used regarding restraints?

Punching a patient just leads to paperwork and lawsuits, regardless of who's in the right or wrong...

Wendy

CO EMT-B