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

[ubeman]

BATTLE of the HEROES!!! Let's see: Cops-by and large seem to think they are above the law. All the guys I was in college with who went into law enforcement were major egos, control freaks, bullies, ect. And the Paramedics? Another group who think they are above the law, self-important, envision themselves as the saviors of the puny mortals. I work in settings where there are lots of sick people, dying and dead people. The paramedics come flying in after I've been doing CPR for 10 minutes and act as if we've committed some crime. They drive with lights/without lights/speeding/who the hell are YOU to question them? Ah, put these two in a ring and let em have at it.

[HerbTee]

Just another version of "White Cops Gone Wild" when it comes to African American vehicle occupants. In Oklahoma, it doesn't appear to make a difference if you're a Black passenger in a vehicle and the driver responsible for following the rules of the road is White. Welcome to 2009 and "post-racial" America after election of President Obama. The picture of that trooper with his hand around the neck of the Black EMT reminds me of similar scenes from the Civil Rights turmoil of the 1960s. We've come a long way? Yeah, right (eyes rolling).

[furion4865]

What's truly telling about this so-called traffic stop is that apparently the ambulance driver was white. If this was a legitimate traffic stop, why did the cops abandon their questioning of the white guy, as evidenced by the video, and then turn all of their hostility towards the black EMTs. Normally, EMTs and the police have a good working relationship, but it look like these cops just had a "hard-on" to bust some black heads and, believe me, if the stop hadn't have been videotaped one of those black guys would have been injured. Unfortunately, you have a bunch of good ol' boys in uniform and Obama's election is a constant reminder of what an accomplished black man can achieve. Obama's ascension to the presidency lays bare all of their insecurities about their manhood and the whole myth surrounding white male superiority. there was time when all it took for white guys to get ahead was their pigmentation, but the days are quickly slipping away as the country becomes more diverse. I guess it will be more difficult to blame their lack of success on Affirmative Action and they'll have to accept their own failures, despite all of the enjoyed advantages of being white and male in America.

[Shozen]

If the officer thought something suspicious was occurring. He should have given the ambulance an escort to the hospital. If the ambulance driver "broke" from the escort they would have strong evidence of criminal activity. Now they just have egg on their faces. What if the patient died during this skirmish? What in the world were those officers thinking? Tickets and background checks can take place later. Medical emergencies have precedence first!

[dbrockx]

Okay, they claim the siren wasn't on, once they realized a patient was in the ambulance, the should have let them go and if need be fine the paramedic later, but these cops were to emotionally involved. No right to choke the man. I hope these cops get fired, and the city get sued. Hope the mother is okay

[protagonia]

He has just made himself into a mall cop.

[miguelisimo2000]

typical of law enforcement in the States.

[hapaglloyd]

We all talk about how Mississippi ,Alabama ,and Louisiana are backwoods states,we all agree on that,but Oklahoma is also a backwoods state,its very violent and uneducated. Look at the people they elect for congress,the republicans .

[BlackJAC]

I'm beginning to suspect that whatever passes for police academies in the red states are subsidiaries of militia compounds.

[Lex10]

"Hey Duke, look- that black feller keeps pointing his phone at us! Don't he realize we're busy?"

[GravitonX]

I've watched the video several times and after analyzing the incident concluded the second paramedic acted stupidly. After the officer said that he was "under arrest," he should not have raised his hand into the officer's face - very bad move.

[scottymac11]

The paramedic was on a mission to transport a patient to medical care. I don't find fault in his reluctance to abandon her in such a circumstance. The "stupid" behavior came from the power driven officers who should have escorted the ambulance to its destination and conducted whatever business they had then. That paramedic was a hero who put his life in mortal danger to protect his responsibility.

[amdezurik]

well after all being taken to the hospital while black certainly justifies the stop...

(sarcasm BTW)

[khaleef49]

Your comments are bias. If you had said both acted stupidly, then I could have agreed but to place blame on the paramedic only is bs. I am sure the police was aware that a patient was in the car when talking to the driver and the fact that the other paramedic was in the back. I don't care that the paramedic driver didn't stop or gave the police the finger. The priority of both should have been the patient and judging from the screaming coming from the patient, she was scared to death. Knowing how police are in Oklahoma and Texas, I would have been scared too.

[lovbug]

no he didn't, the cops need to grow one. why was the cop so sensitive because someone give him the finger? the trooper's actions were a disgrace and they should be reprimanded.

[UnbiasedinSWPA]

Bottom line is that this entire incident should have never occurred. The Police Officers' actions were dead wrong. If they had not stopped the ambulance enroute to the hospital or even if they had, once they realized that there was somebody in there being treated, they should have let the EMT's proceed to the hospital. It's not like they had pulled over some escaped convicts or something.

Furthermore, if the EMT had done something so wrong, then why did the cops end up letting him go, or did I miss something?

[AnnfromCA]

What a completely insane move on the officer's part. Fired yet?

[ExpatDane]

Once again DWB (driving while black) is an offense. How do these police officers get there jobs? They should be fired no questions asked.

[dimplesmile7]

The black guy was not the driver. The ambulance driver was white.

[sebtred]

Is this Reno 911? lol

[hopefulinflorida]

I wouldn't live in Oklahoma if you paid me. That cop had his hands around the mans neck, what a disgrace. What did they stop an ambulance for anyway? These cops need to fired immediately.

[jboswel2]

I wouldnt live in florida if they paid me.