Trooper Fights Paramedics With Patient Still In Ambulance (VIDEO)

Oklahoma's Tulsa World newspaper reports on a bizarre scuffle this past week after a highway patrol officer pulled over an ambulance that was carrying a patient headed for the hospital, but didn't have its siren on.

The patrolman apparently intended to issue a 'failure to yeild' citation to the ambulance driver, and was angered when he believed one of the paramedics gave him a middle finger.

Despite being told that the woman in the ambulance needed to get to the hospital, the trooper insisted that one of the paramedics be detained in his car. When he tried to handcuff a paramedic, a fight ensued, which was filmed by the husband of the patient.

Eventually the patrolman allowed the ambulance to go to the hospital. An investigation over the incident "has been turned over to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol's Internal Affairs Unit and a county prosecutor," the Tulsa World reports.

Read the full story here, or watch video:

Comments

[AAnLA]

Your compassion for the trooper is commendable. I agree with it. But, by your apparent lack of empathy for the medic (!) not to mention the family of the poor woman inside of the ambulance that you either not a person of color or you have never had the experience of being mistreated because of your race (or both).

Do you have any IDEA what kind of psychological damage this does to the paramedic? Or even other African males who see this behavior from "law enforcement." (including myself) It has been documented that the heart rate/ blood pressure of an African American male goes up higher than a white male when visual contact is made with "law enforcement." You've heard of DWB (driving while black).

To get a SENSE of the trauma that this medic experienced even before this incident, you just need to simply watch how calmly he reacts (in proportion to the indignity that he is experiencing) during this entire episode. If he were white, he would have been disoriented as to how and why the entire exchange could be happening. Because of the conditioning of this society on African American men he KNEW that his life was in danger and what possibilities (choke hold) existed in that moment.

So please. Before we pray for the trooper who needs more than R&R, please....PRAY FOR THE MEDIC who was trying to help another and needed a video camera to save his life.

[notsurprisedatall]

I heard many people saying that the trooper officer needs to go to anger management,it seems to me he was clearly on drugs.Something he can take to jail/prison for doing it

[jimthefireman]

Further information has come to light. Trooper Martin is now on "Administrative paid leave" which he should have been from the start. It seems the woman in his car was his wife and he is recently returned from deployment to Iraq. Much about this now becomes understandable and Officer Martin deserves some slack for the unavoidable stress which occurs to almost everyone who has been deployed to a combat zone. Likewise the Oklahoma Highway Patrol should have issued a discrete but heartfelt apology to the Creek Nation Ambulance service together with an assurance that disputes will NEVER be handled at the side of the road with a passenger in the back. OHP have failed both the public they serve and the poor damaged Officer they employ, and then made it worse by failing to quickly own the responsibility and do the right thing. The dash cam footage has not been released as requested by the media and the District Attorney, so it is safe to assume that it does not support Trooper Martin's claims. I feel sorry for everyone involved and live in hope that lessons may be learned from this and mistakes avoided by others as a result.

[Cdahl303]

I hope that Trooper Martin gets the help that he needs / deserves after serving our country overseas if that is what has caused his rage (which appears to be the case - per the above) . I also hope that OHP will offer him a position where he can remain out of contact with the public until he gets the help he needs and recovers. incredible story.

[AAnLA]

Your compassion for the trooper is commendable. I agree with it. But, by your apparent lack of empathy for the medic (!) not to mention the family of the poor woman inside of the ambulance that you either not a person of color or you have never had the experience of being mistreated because of your race (or both).

Do you have any IDEA what kind of psychological damage this does to the paramedic? Or even other African males who see this behavior from "law enforcement." (including myself) It has been documented that the heart rate/ blood pressure of an African American male goes up higher than a white male when visual contact is made with "law enforcement." You've heard of DWB (driving while black).

To get a SENSE of the trauma that this medic experienced even before this incident, you just need to simply watch how calmly he reacts (in proportion to the indignity that he is experiencing) during this entire episode. If he were white, he would have been disoriented as to how and why the entire exchange could be happening. Because of the conditioning of this society on African American men he KNEW that his life was in danger and what possibilities (choke hold) existed in that moment.

So please. Before we pray for the trooper who needs more than R&R, please....PRAY FOR THE MEDIC who was trying to help another and needed a video camera to save his life.

[Artos]

After watching this video I would have to ask at least two questions, one, Why did they cop tell the EMT he was under arrest if this was a mere traffic stop. and two why was the cop standing so close to and in the mans face, that when he raised his arm to make a point, the cop immediately took it for some "assault" and then grabbed the EMTs arm. It seems to me had the Cop hadn't thrown out this cockamamie charge and then both of them gotten right into the EMTs face then neither cop would have had an excuse to use physical force. As far as I can see It was there fault and no one elses. They wanted a confrontation and they got it.

[wordvarc]

Emergency personnel don't need to fight with each other.

The Highway Patrol could have handled this administratively by passing along their observations an the truck number via superiors to the ambulance company. The ambulance company's license to operate is on the line. There are rules about how to drive the emergency van. The company would discipline the driver, fire him if necessary, and send a report back to their licensing organization or the Highway patrol.

[dimplesmile7]

My question is what will the chief of police do? The incident is over now. What is next? They need to be more vocal and stop hiding in the shadows.

[dimplesmile7]

The worst part is the black guy was not even the driver. If they felt the siren should have been on, why did they not talk to the white driver?

[itchcity]

cops have always acted like this, we just see it more now thanks to camera phones :)

[mwoman]

My, God! I'm listening to Cheney defend Bush's approach to terrorism... This is a man who loves to grow fear. He's so good at it! The event is a journalistic event, an award to 2 conservative journalist. Have to say, it's interesting to hear, fear, which they hold so dearly, circulating in the air.

[kinogod]

Thank God for the man-with-the-camera and the policeman's dawning realization that he was on camera -- or we know how this Peckinpa-Pullover would'a turned out.

[snakeman]

Sue the BAS***** !

[drewrichards]

That cop acted like he was hopped up on Meth.
Possibly so...big problem in OK.

[snakeman]

As a retired state trooper with 29 years these troopers actions are unprofessional at best, and racist at least. They give troopers in this country a bad name. To stop a ambulance and find out that they are taking someone to the hospital and then try to arrest the ambulance driver is a disgrace. I must also say that this was racial ! Both of those troopers should be fired and have abuse of authority charges filed against them.

[HerbTee]

Thank you for your law enforcement service and your insights. I also was a city police officer for two short years in Florida in the mid-1980s. With the dozen or so times I've dealt with state troopers from many states, they've always been courteous, respectful and professional towards me...and even let me go without a speeding ticket on many occasions. I cannot say the same for some city and county cops, but state troopers always seemed to be a slight cut above the rest. So I know first hand that there are many good state troopers out here. What upsets me the most about this incident is the Black EMT was not the driver of the ambulance, yet this trooper took it upon himself to threaten him with arrest and then placed his hand around the EMT's throat.

I cannot think of a more threatening situation that would create the natural fight instinct than one man placing his hands around another man's throat. It was a ra cist, disgusting display and reminded me of my childhood watching the Civil Rights marches.

[theiccemann]

I just hope these cops don't need these two paramedics in the future. I thought cops, firefighters and paramedics were supposed to be on the same side,, ... helping people.

[Zofomofo]

Look folks, we all know there are good cops, but cops have ALWAYS been out of control and have way too little regulation. It is a horrible job, but cops, in general have zero concern about the welfare of society.

Let me ask you this, if a car rolls through a stop sign to make a right hand turn and the cops stop him and block traffic for 1/2 an hour, who has done the most damage to society, the guy who rolled through or the cop?

Small example I know, but recently witnessed.

Regulate those with power, because they will get drunk with it.

[jollygiant83221]

Actually law gives the driver who's getting pulled over the right to put their hazzards on and drive to a safe part of road or parking lot. Thus there is no need to block traffic. Cops are trained to do all they can not to block traffic if not needed.