EMS, Facebook, murder and pictures

[celticcare]

Why the hell are these people out there, the arguements for advancement of care and skills, and we get idiots doing this????!!!! What sort of idiot takes a picture to start with, and then posts it on facebook of all places.

I'm boggled and baffled. Just what EMS needs coming up to EMS week, now that area has a further tainted picture of EMS and what many of us do because of one stupid idiot!

EMT Fired over Murder Victims photos

[Katiebug]

Tasteless. Revolting. Just...wrong on so many levels. Oh, and stupid.

[Just Plain Ruff]

Attention all hiring directors and directors of HR.

do not hire this guy Mark Musarella

[emsboy_2000]

I'm not sure why someone would want to exhibit such an image for public view. Anyone have any ideas? Is it to show off? Sick, twisted, and abnormal. What a disgrace.

Edited May 15, 2009 by emsboy_2000

[Kiwiology]

WTF that guy needs putting down ...

[rock_shoes]

Someone like this should be suspended imediately then fired should the accusations prove to be true. Any and all EMS certifications should be revoked in addition to this individual being barred from working in any emergency service (or public office for that matter). Hopefully the victims family will take the time to have said individual charged with breach of privacy.

[spenac]

Actually nothing wrong with pictures for actual training and for additional documentation for your report. But any one that posts pics that are identifiable should be made to watch a loved one suffer and die. Then relive it forever. That is what the dead persons family is made to do because of jerks like this that post gross pics for fun. OK my punishment won't work as other innocent partys would be harmed but I think YOU SEE MY POINT. If not sorry go back to preschool and get your education.

[FireMedic65]

Something similar happened near me. There was an MVC and a person on the ambulance crew took pictures of the scene and car with victims. The photos were posted on a forum before the police even left the scene. It was a local forum that was routinely checked by the officers who were there. They saw it, called the boss of this company. The person was fired that morning.

I have no issues with taking pictures of accident scenes for educational purposes. The pictures should not be solely directed at the victim though. That is just wrong and sick. Pictures of injuries and such are fine, but there is a limit to this. We aren't cops and we don't need to have such pictures like that for personal use, let alone for posting to the public. That's pretty deranged if you ask me!

[fireflymedic]

What I think of this guy and his actions is not able to be repeated here....fortunately he does not work in this area with those tasteless actions he probably wouldn't last very long.

[Dustdevil]

Firing wasn't good enogh. Now he's being prosecuted.

Maybe they'll take his NYPD pension too.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2...ial_miscon.html

EMT that posted photo of murdered woman on Facebook charged with official misconduct

BY DAVE GOLDINER

DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Thursday, June 4th 2009, 4:03 PM

A snap-happy paramedic was charged with official misconduct for taking a photo of a murdered woman and posting the image on his Facebook page, authorities said Wednesday.

An EMT that posted a photo of a murdered Caroline Wimmer on his Facebook faces up to a year in prison.

Mark Musarella, 46, took the picture of Caroline Wimmer, who was found strangled with a hair dryer cord on Mar. 30 in her Staten Island apartment.

The ghoulish EMT later then put the pic online, his lawyer admits, insisting it was a mistake.

"It is unconscionable to me that an EMT . . . would take a photo of a murder victim and post it on the internet for all to see," said Staten Island District Attorney Daniel Donovan.

Musarella, a retired NYPD detective, was fired from his job at Richmond University Medical Center. He faces up to a year in prison.

His lawyer said he was only "following his instincts" in using his cell phone to snap a photo of Wimmer's lifeless body and insisted he never meant to post it.

"Mr. Musarella is deeply sorrow for any pain this incident has caused," said Edward Pavia, the lawyer. "He never intended for the photo to be displayed."

Police said Calvin Lawson, 28, killed Wimmer, 26, because she told his girlfriend that he was unfaithful. Lawson has been charged with murder and possession of a weapon.

dgoldiner@nydailynews.com