Oklahoma Highway Patrol and Paramedic Confrontation

[Dustdevil]

Dust, I already know your attitude about cops.

I seriously doubt that. I'm not that one-dimensional.

So, do you have relevant information about the medic's past or not?

[VentMedic]

I seriously doubt that. I'm not that one-dimensional.

You've made you opinions very clear on the forums. It is possible what you are trying to say and what come across the screen are different. You do tend to occasionally lump FFs and LEOs into a very not so flattering viewpoint.

So, do you have relevant information about the medic's past or not?

The link to the article is in one of the threads. It might still be on that OK news channel link that was doing all the updates.

Did you see the medic's TV interview? Grandstanding right after the incident just doesn't do one's credibility much good.

[Dustdevil]

You've made you opinions very clear on the forums. It is possible what you are trying to say and what come across the screen are different. You do tend to occasionally lump FFs and LEOs into a very not so flattering viewpoint.

That's funny, because on another forum I frequent, they always accuse me of taking up for cops too much. If I criticise a cop, I criticise him because he was wrong, not because he's a cop. Same thing with firemen or EMTs or medics or Indian chiefs.

The link to the article is in one of the threads. It might still be on that OK news channel link that was doing all the updates.

Someone claims he was not popular with co-workers at a previous job. I thought you had something relevant to the situation at hand.

Did you see the medic's TV interview? Grandstanding right after the incident just doesn't do one's credibility much good.

His credibility is irrelevant. The video tells the story.

The moment he got out of the ambulance calling himself a "critical care paramedic", I rolled my eyes and pegged him as a whacker. I never said he was a model paramedic. I just said that, in this instance, he was in the right, and the trooper was in the wrong. And that's all that matters.

[VentMedic]

That's funny, because on another forum I frequent, they always accuse me of taking up for cops too much. If I criticise a cop, I criticise him because he was wrong, not because he's a cop. Same thing with firemen or EMTs or medics or Indian chiefs.

Not on the forums we are on together.

Someone claims he was not popular with co-workers at a previous job. I thought you had something relevant to the situation at hand.

I think he had more than some"one".

His credibility is irrelevant. The video tells the story.

But it also establishes character which he'll need when he goes to court.

However, the more he and his partner talk to the media the harder it will be for them to keep their stories staight. That is where they will screw themselves. They've filed their complaints and there is no need to continue with the attitude on the news as if they are also judge and jury like you. Their egos seem to be their own worst enemy now rather than the cop in question.

The moment he got out of the ambulance calling himself a "critical care paramedic", I rolled my eyes and pegged him as a whacker. I never said he was a model paramedic. I just said that, in this instance, he was in the right, and the trooper was in the wrong. And that's all that matters.

He still played a huge role in making this a serious confrontation.

The cop knows his role in this mess, has made apoloigies and has not gone on TV or to the newspaper. In my opinion, that makes him the better of the two right now. However, it seems White and his partner are still being the agressors with keeping it alive in the media.

White needs to now let his attorneys handle it. He'll get his money and probably won't be concerned about EMS or LEOs again. Actually, as it was also already mentioned including myself, it is now not an EMS issue but one of race.

Edited July 24, 2009 by VentMedic

[Dustdevil]

Not on the forums we are on together.

Au contraire'. At least twice over there I have gotten into disagreements with the masses over an officers' use of force, which others claimed was unjustified.

I think he had more than some"one".

Again, completely irrelevant. This was not a confrontation with a co-worker.

But it also establishes character which he'll need when he goes to court.

Normally, maybe. But this is not a he said/she said. It's all on tape, so there is no question of character to be considered. The facts are in black and white.

However, the more he and his partner talk to the media the harder it will be for them to keep their stories staight. That is where they will screw themselves. They've filed their complaints and there is no need to continue with the attitude on the news as if they are also judge and jury like you. Their egos seem to be their own worst enemy now rather than the cop in question.

I've only seen one interview with each of them, the cop included. Everything else has been the lawyers and OHP reps talking. If there has been a media blitz of the magnitude you imply, I have missed it.

He still played a huge role in making this a serious confrontation.

Completely disagreed. It was a serious confrontation from the moment the cop got out of his car screaming like a madman. That's why White got out of the ambulance to begin with. He tried to intervene and prevent it from getting completely out of hand, albeit clumsily. But the seriousness of the confrontation was set from the beginning, regardless of White's actions.

The cop knows his role in this mess, has made apoloigies and has not gone on TV or to the newspaper. In my opinion, that makes him the better of the two right now. However, it seems White and his partner are still being the agressors with keeping it alive in the media.

I suspect that is because he knows he's wrong. Funny how righteousness makes one more open to public scrutiny. In my opinion, that makes White the winner right now. The jury knows it's the guilty party who invokes the Fifth Amendment, and that is going to weigh against the trooper.

White needs to now let his attorneys handle it.

Best I can tell, that's exactly what he has done. His one televised interview was on the approval or advice of his attorney, and he has said nothing since then.

[Chief1C]

[VentMedic]

Do you want me to post what you have said on the other forums? You usually come across as a disgruntled ex-cop or ex-FF who has not love for either profession.

Just get over it Dust. This is freakin' one cop and you have make it sound like they're all out to get EMS providers with the many, many posts on this subject. Why don't you get this upset when an EMT(P) rapes a child in the back of his ambulance? Why aren't more in EMS calling for the certs of some of our own serious offenders? How many refuse to believe it is true even after they are convicted or the state has completed their investigation? Are the professional expectations not as high for EMT(P)s? Yes, maybe LEOs are the professionals and should be held to a higher level of accountability if we can't expect it from some of those in EMS.

But don't worry Dust, Obama will probably just make a TV appearance with White, tell him how much he loves him and say the cop acted stupidly. That'll be the end of it and White can collect his huge settlement to buy that fancy car and house he so deserves.

That yellow cat seems to be well trained in martial arts by the stance.

[Dustdevil]

Do you want me to post what you have said on the other forums? You usually come across as a disgruntled ex-cop or ex-FF who has not love for either profession.

And that is as irrelevant as White's co-workers opinion of him is. Why can't you stick to the issue at hand instead of trying to derail it off onto completely unrelated issues?

Just get over it Dust.

Me get over it? You've posted as much on the subject as I have, if not more. I didn't even post until page 4, while you were already chest deep in it.

This is freakin' one cop and you have make it sound like they're all out to get EMS providers with the many, many posts on this subject.

I don't think anyone else here has made that quantum leap assumption. I have been pretty focused on the actions of these two troopers, not law enforcement in general. For that matter, most of my posts here have been arguing with Lone Star about the definition of abandonment.

Why don't you get this upset when an EMT(P) rapes a child in the back of his ambulance? Why aren't more in EMS calling for the certs of some of our own serious offenders? How many refuse to believe it is true even after they are convicted or the state has completed their investigation? Are the professional expectations not as high for EMT(P)s?

You cannot be seriously suggesting that I don't criticise EMS providers enough here, can you? If you deducted those posts where I criticise unprofessional EMTs and medics from my post count, it would drop to a few hundred posts. Criticism from Dustdevil is not given. It is earned. Nobody is immune.

As was pointed out early in this thread, not even officers on the law enforcement forums were defending this trooper. Neither I, nor other EMS providers are alone in believing he was the aggressor and in the wrong. It is the popular opinion in both the general public and the LE community. Most of my best friends are police officers. People I talk to every day. Not a one of them have defended this trooper.

[spenac]

Break time.

We need some new people to attack as on this and several other topics all the old timers have been trying to kill each other.

Edited July 24, 2009 by spenac

[Christopher.Collins]

HOLEY SH*T!!!

Regardless of who was right and who was wrong, what we see and what we dont see... if these cops had half a brain they would had have noted what agency the ambulance was and unit number and contacted the company.

Im sorry, Im not trying to be a hater of cops. I have the upmost respect for them. Unless this ambulance was driving erratically for a period of time there was no reason for this to happen. Not with a patient in back and deffinatley not in public like this. Maybe they didnt know there was a patient on board... but maybe once they figured that out they could have come up with a better course of action to resolve the situation.

Im not saying my brother EMSers didnt do anything wrong, and if they did they should most deffinatley be held accountable. But the cops handled this (at least based on what we have been told and shown) like a bunch of frigging jack a$$es.