Oklahoma Highway Patrol and Paramedic Confrontation

[Chief1C]

Today was the first time in all the mess, that it made the local papers, and it was the atty. response. I had to laugh.

[Lone Star]

Seriously, Lone. You're suddenly becoming that which you usually deplore. Think about it.

I didn't relish the idea of having to quote 'the book' in this case. Until I can find legal statute to corroborate my point of view, I attempted to offer material (including legal definitions) of what constitutes abandonment as it is defined. Obviously, this is what has logically led to my position on this matter.

Comparing EMS to nurses only serves to 'muddy the waters' and further confuse the issue at hand. Nurses aren't governed by the same policies and procedures as EMS, and to compare the two is moot.

Until such time that I can find 'proof' of my position, I am withdrawing from this topic of discussion.

[Dustdevil]

Nurses aren't governed by the same policies and procedures as EMS...

Yes, they are. Abandonment is a medico-legal term, not an EMS term. Again, what we teach in EMT school is a very dumbed-down version of the law, just like the medicine we teach there is a very dumbed-down version of medicine. It is not meant to be legally accurate. It is meant to make a quick and simple point to keep people out of trouble. That's it. To argue that is somehow a definitive concept is akin to arguing that BLS is definitive care.

[Chief1C]

[medic82942003]

its official now- the paramedic in question says the trooper should lose his job. this is a bit much, how about a apology. every one makes mistakes and or has a bad day. PS i am a medic. if the medic screwed up- I would not want him to lose his job.

[ncmedic309]

I just had the opportunity to watch the "dash-cam" footage. That officer was driving excessively fast and came up on that unit real quick. I don't know how that car in front of the unit could have heard the siren at that quick of an approach. I would assume he must have seen the trooper approaching in his rear-view mirror, something the operator of the ambulance couldn't have seen. The video definitely doesn't help the trooper any, it still shows him being way out of line and initiating the assault. I never saw the paramedic make an aggressive move towards the trooper until after he was assaulted. I also doubt that he opted to take an administrative leave, I'm willing to bet that came down from the top.

In the case of abandonment, it just didn't happen. The patient was still cared for and ultimately arrived at a higher level of care. The medic did his job and handled that situation the best he could in my opinion. The only thing that he could have done differently was place the driver in the back of the truck while he discussed the situation with the trooper, however I doubt the trooper would have allowed that to take place considering his aggressive attitude towards both of the crew members. I'm also not digging the whole blame his behavior on the fact that he just back from Iraq. I'm not saying that he didn't have PTSD or something else going on at the time, but if he knew he was in that frame of mind, he shouldn't have been at work - it's that simple. He puts himself and everyone else in a dangerous situation if he's not in the right frame of mind to do his job appropriately. I feel that they are just exploring every excuse that they can come up with but that's a big cop-out, no pun intended.

[FireMedic65]

its official now- the paramedic in question says the trooper should lose his job. this is a bit much, how about a apology. every one makes mistakes and or has a bad day. PS i am a medic. if the medic screwed up- I would not want him to lose his job.

what that cop did was wrong, and saying "sorry" is not good enough. Letting him off only leaves him the opportunity to do it again or something worse. The only thing he learned from this was to stay out of the camera view. This cop is a piece of crap.

After watching the video, it only furthers my opinion of this guy hiding behind his badge. He was running his siren, driving excessively and came up really fast/close to the ambulance, then passed it. Later he pulled into a gas station, turning the siren off. He then sped away to pull over the ambulance, storming out of the cruiser yelling at people and cursing. Very unprofessional! Barking commands and what not. At least he did tell the medic to get back in with the patient, several times. The medic just wanted to clear the problem up to get his patient to the hospital I suppose. The cop was said to just have gotten back from a tour in Iraq, and that is why he was so angry. That makes no sense to me. The medic didn't make him sign up for the military and send him overseas.

[Dustdevil]

What I found really bizarre about the dash cam video is that he had his wife in the car with him, yet he never says a single word to her the entire time.

I really expected to hear him yelling, "That sonofabitch! I'm gonna get him!" when he was supposedly flipped off, but nothing! Something just doesn't add up about that.

[medic82942003]

Hey it was worth a shot-I guess the lets join hands and sing kumbuya, just doesnt cut it anymore.

Just playing devils advocate. The Trooper had a bad case of road rage. But the paramedic left

the patient, he was disrespectfull toward the Trooper. 2 wrongs don't make a wright. Also the

Trooper seemed to be trying to talk to the Driver, and the Medic butted in. Yes i know I cant type or spell.

Be safe.

[Chief1C]

As a soldier, in uniform, I respect that. As a police office, he deserves no respect. He lost that when he lost his temper. I'd feel the same way about any cop that flips out. Suppose he were alone, no bystanders, at night? Hell, he may have gone so far as to draw his weapon.