Rochester Cop in Hot Water After Handcuffing EMT Trying to Care for Patient
Category: News & Politics
Via: revillug • 2 years ago • 12 commentsBy: Brooke Leigh Howard (The Daily Beast)
In a video of the incident obtained by News 10, the EMT can be seen standing next to a colleague at the hospital check-in desk with the patient on a stretcher. The investigator, who is wearing a red shirt, then rushes toward the EMT, pushing her into a wall before handcuffing her and escorting her out of the hospital. The medical worker was ultimately released from custody without charges being filed.
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
PETTY TYRANT
The officer was reportedly infuriated that the EMT hit his squad car with the ambulance door—and demanded she immediately hand over identification.
Brooke Leigh Howard
Reporter
Published Jul. 15, 2022 4:58PM ET
YouTube: NBC10 Rochester
A Rochester police officer is on desk duty after he was caught on camera forcefully handcuffing an emergency medical technician who'd reportedly bumped his squad car with her ambulance door just outside a hospital.
According to News 10 Rochester, the Monroe Ambulance EMT was attempting to unload a patient in the ambulance bay area at Strong Memorial Hospital when she hit the cop's car. The officer then demanded the EMT give him her identification, but the health-care worker was more concerned about getting the patient inside the hospital for treatment, the report says.
In a video of the incident obtained by News 10, the EMT can be seen standing next to a colleague at the hospital check-in desk with the patient on a stretcher. The investigator, who is wearing a red shirt, then rushes toward the EMT, pushing her into a wall before handcuffing her and escorting her out of the hospital. The medical worker was ultimately released from custody without charges being filed.
In a statement released Friday on Facebook, Monroe Ambulance said the EMT made the correct call in bringing the patient inside the hospital as soon as possible.
"While the incident is still under internal investigation, our review of the video footage of the event indicates the safety of both our employee and that of her patient were jeopardized by the action of the officer," the statement said. "Our employee demonstrated sound decision making by prioritizing the care of her patient and it is the expectation of all our care providers to do the same."
"Furthermore, we do not believe the behavior of the officer aligns with the values of RPD leadership and should in no way condemn the rest of the brave brothers and sisters in blue. We are eager to learn of the outcome of RPD's official investigation," the statement added.
The Rochester Police Department tweeted a statement Friday, saying it has opened an internal investigation into the arrest and "prides itself on providing professional and courteous services to [the] community."
"I demand the members of the Rochester Police Department perform their duties in a professional manner," Rochester police chief David Smith said. "And as such, we must hold ourselves to a high standard of accountability."
The officer involved has since been assigned to administrative duties.
Tags
Who is online
61 visitors
I hope the desk is ok.
Dude....
I get that they aren't us, but they ARE FIRE/MEDICAL, don't go after our allies you fucking idiot. Who in the fuck do you think is gonna show up to save you if you get shot?! Dipshit. OMG someone bitch slap this asshole for me, in addition to what they have already gotten. Asshole broke the rule.
I lost your thread here. What did you mean that they aren't us?
They may not be cops, but EMTs and Firefighters show up and deal with as much bullshit as us. Yes we talk a lot but if we end up getting shot they are the ones who save our lives.
Just like the corpsman back in my USMC days. Lotta respect for them.
Are you a cop?
I have nothing against cops. Both my grandfathers were cops.
EMTs don't get paid shit. I was shocked to learn this. I figured it was a civil service job with decent pay and good benefits. It's minimum wage at best and sometimes worse. And like you say, they are first responders. They are on the frontlines saving people's lives.
This retired FMF Corpsman thanks you.
Where the hell was he parked that the ambulance door hit his car? I mean, they have to swing all the way open to get the stretcher out. You can't be parking on an ambulance's bumper at a hospital and expect not to get your car scratched.
And then to prioritize that over the life of somebody who was in bad enough shape to need an ambulance - cop was drunk on power.
The situation makes me surmise that the cop had parked the squad car in the space reserved for ambulances to park and unload, which in itself would have been the wrong thing to do. Applicants for jobs with the Rochester Police Department need to be given an intelligence test.
Same. If she bumped his car unloading the patient, it sounds like he parked right behind the ambulance. Well, he should know how those doors swing outward and that there is some space needed to back the stretcher out. Common sense should have told him to stay clear.
And legally, she couldn't leave the patient to get her ID. She would have been guilty of patient abandonment. She had to transfer care to hospital personnel, by law, before worrying about her ID.
There are too many insane psychopaths wearing badges. Something needs to be done to make it easier to get rid of these assholes.
Hear, hear!
Sounds like we have a Barney Fife on steroids.