Paramedic: Officer Was In "State Of Rage"

Ambulance Medic In Scuffle On Way To Hospital Says Trooper Had "Total Disregard" For Patient

(CBS/ AP)  Bothered that an ambulance driver failed to yield to him as he raced to provide backup on a call -- and angered further when he thought the driver flipped him an obscene gesture -- Oklahoma state trooper Daniel Martin decided to stop the ambulance and give the driver a piece of his mind.

What Martin didn’t know then, his lawyer said Monday, was that there was a patient in the back of the ambulance.

"He’s not this ogre, this depriver of people’s rights," the trooper’s attorney, Gary James, said. "He’s a good man."

Since a cell phone video of the dispute taken by the patient’s son hit YouTube last month -- garnering over a million hits -- Martin has faced criticism and placed on paid leave as the patrol chief reviews the case.

The patient, Stella Davis of Boley, Okla., was eventually treated and released from the hospital, but relatives and others have questioned why the ambulance driver was stopped and pushed for answers.

After Martin stopped the vehicle, paramedic Maurice White Jr. jumped from the back and demanded that Martin talk to him instead of the driver, according to a longer video, taken by the dashboard camerain Martin’s cruiser, that authorities released over the weekend.

The video shows that, after the trooper stopped the vehicle, White, a paramedic for east central Oklahoma's Creek Nation Community Hospital, jumped from the back and addressed Martin.

"You get back in the ambulance, I’m talking to the driver," Martin said.

"I’m in charge of this unit, sir," the paramedic tells Martin, an Iraq War veteran who returned from the Middle East about a month before the May 24 incident in Paden, 40 miles east of Oklahoma City.

Martin tells the driver he’s going to give him a ticket for failure to yield.

"I ain’t going to be putting up with that (expletive)," Martin said. "You understand me?"

Then, White said: "And I won’t put up with you talking to my driver like that."

The situation escalates, with White repeatedly telling Martin he has a patient he wants to take to the hospital, and Martin telling him to get back in the ambulance. They soon begin scuffling on the side of the road as Martin attempts to arrest White, at one point grabbing him by the throat, video shows.

White appeared with his attorney, Richard O’Carroll, on The Early Show Tuesday from Gore, Okla., to discuss the roadside incident.

White told Early Show co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez he got involved because the driver had an "emergency."

"But once confronted with the situation," White said, "there was no way with the patient and the unit, could I allow my driver to spend 20 minutes with the trooper discussing a possible ticket."

White told Rodriguez Martin was in "a state of rage from the beginning."

"And even after being informed that we had a patient," White said, "there was total disregard. So he started in a state of rage and simply escalated from that point."

White added he repeatedly told the trooper he had a patient in the ambulance, and the patient’s family members also joined in, saying that their relative needed to get to the hospital.

White said he would like to see the trooper fired. White told Rodriguez that based on statements, Martin and his superiors don’t think Martin did anything wrong.

"This trooper still doesn't understand he's not omnipotent," O'Carroll told CBS News. "He could no more tell Maurice to stop taking a woman to hospital than he could tell a pilot to run a jetliner into the ocean."

O'Carroll told CBS News they are awaiting the patrol chief's ruling before deciding whether to take legal action.

White said, "This gentleman needs to have his ability to carry a gun and a badge taken away so no other individual, and particularly a patient, has to go through this."

But Martin’s attorney said the trooper -- whom he described as a decorated sailor and a 15-year law enforcement veteran -- didn’t realize there was a patient in the ambulance until well after the situation had intensified. He either didn’t hear it or it didn’t register, he said.

Martin was trying to make a legitimate traffic stop, James said, when White became hostile, refused to comply with the patrolman’s orders and caused the situation to spiral out of control.

James said the law allows an officer to pull over an ambulance if its emergency lights and sirens aren’t running, as was the case in this incident.

But White said on The Early Show it was for the patien'ts benefit that the sirens weren’t on.

"It’s common practice," White told Rodriguez. " ... The patient actually had a fainting episode with chest pain. And it’s common practice not to run lights and sirens with those type patients. It really exacerbates their situation."

O’Carroll said the veteran paramedic was trying to protect his patient and that the trooper had no reason to stop the ambulance, let alone try and arrest White. The trooper’s arms were bruised when White resisted arrest, James said.

"If the guy was bruised, it didn’t make any difference," O’Carroll said. "He ought not to stop ambulance drivers for hurting his feelings."

[wslylibby]

This **** is disgracefull. That racist ************** needs to be fired with no severance and no opportunity to ever again work for a cushy government job. The editors have done a good job of bleeping out the offensive stuff but you can still tell what was said. Bastards like that have no place being in any kind of position to give them some authority. 5 day suspension without pay is equal to a vacation.

[jimbotheman]

If this ***** wasn't a cop he'd be charged with a crime. The uniform is all he needs to get away with assault. Just a suspension ? Drop dead copper.

[cjstallworth4]

That video was very disturbing. For anyone who can defend the trooper...it's even more disturbing to know that. I watched the video on YouTube. It is VERY EVIDENT that another vehicle was in front on the ambulance when the trooper was trying to go. The other vehicle pulled over and the ambulance was trying to pull over as well. You can see that because the brake lights did come on as the ambulance tried to manuever to the right. I guess it wasn't fast enough for the trooper and that got him "GOING"!!!! The reason their lights weren't on was because of the patients situation. That is very typical (and allowable) amongst EMTs with heart patients or such. The trooper did indeed assault the EMT first on the driver side of the ambulance. From there he did get out of hand. If that was my mother, I would be LIVID and FURIOUS!!!! If the trooper doesn't lose his badge, he definitely needs counseling and anger mangement for a LONG TIME!!!

[OneStaticHorizon]

Martin is obviously a racist pig and a disgrace to his badge. Typical bad cop.

[drushady]

I will never go that state if i can help it . And i feel for kind people of any race , religon , that live there .

[ToolMangler1]

by ka4993-545 June 20, 2009 12:16 PM PDT
The ambulance driver broke the law by failing to yield. The rules of the road apply to every emergency vehicle not actively displaying emergency lighting. If the ambulance had been on an emergent call, lights and sirens would have been running. They were simply transporting a patient, which is 99% of what ambulance companies do. Additionally, it is absolutely ridiculous that a professional emergency worker would not yield to an emergency vehicle which actually is responding to an EMERGENCY call with the requisite lights and siren activated. Those of you expressing outrage about the viability of the stop are barking up the wrong tree.




If you saw the video, it should be clear even to 'you' that the Ambulance was going by a car that had pulled part way off the road to let him by. The EMS vehicle pulled back across the white/yellow line once it was past the car that had stopped. That is when the Cop lost it and decided to pull him over. Watch the videos and learn...

[cregis]

I sided with the officer who stopped the 72 year old witch, but can't side with this officer. He obviously had a power trip going on. What happened to the backup he was hurrying to provide? Wasn't he needed elsewhere? His superiors should certainly question his judgment.

[ka4993-545]

The ambulance driver broke the law by failing to yield. The rules of the road apply to every emergency vehicle not actively displaying emergency lighting. If the ambulance had been on an emergent call, lights and sirens would have been running. They were simply transporting a patient, which is 99% of what ambulance companies do. Additionally, it is absolutely ridiculous that a professional emergency worker would not yield to an emergency vehicle which actually is responding to an EMERGENCY call with the requisite lights and siren activated. Those of you expressing outrage about the viability of the stop are barking up the wrong tree.

Having said that, the officers behavior was out of control during his contact with the medics. He simply could have handled the contact in a professional manner, allowed the medic to make an ass of himself which he was more than prepared to do, and issued the ambulance driver a much needed citation. The officer instead created yet another situation where uninformed idiots think they have substantial ground to be outraged at the police.

[cremc-ss]

I thought a life was more important than getting a thief or etc!

[angel1275]

Ok, why did the Paramedic even get out of the back of the ambulance with a patient in the back. In my State that is abandonment. I worked on an ambulance for years, and if we had a patient in the condition we would have responded lights and sirens to the hospital so that the patient would get treated ASAP. Yes the cop was a little overbearing, but the Paramedic abandoned his patient by getting out of the back of the ambulance. The cop wanted to speak to the driver not the guy in the back.

[cjstallworth4]

angel...."the cop was a little overbearing"....you've got to be kidding me! Overbearing and physically assaulting someone are in two different leagues.
I can understand what you are saying about abandonment, but I wouldn't know. It STILL DOESN'T JUSTIFY the cops "overbearing"...as you say!

[fred-mertz]

That cop has serious "anger management issues". He should not be allowed to wear a badge or carry a gun.

[odbu812]

He didn't hear the driver, the med tech, or the son of the patient all telling the him that they needed to get her to the hospital?! did the cops lawyer actually say that or it didn't register? and they give this dope a gun? I seen the video. This is clearly an incident of rage, this guy has no business carrying a gun, what if it was a child with a toy water pistol? and parents and witness are scream it's a child with a toy ...don't shoot...it's a toy....He didn't hear it or it didn't register...would that excuse wash then? I don't want him protecting and serving me or my family!

[rednursercr]

What a disgusting display by a member of the law enforcement community. Someone the public should trust and who is sworn to protect and serve. This was simply an abuse of power, nothing else. Law enforcement, paramedics, and health care providers often come in contact with each other while performing their duty and generally extend one another a measure of professional courtesy. If this officer had no problem with the way he behaved toward those paramedics, how does he treat the general public?! Law enforcement officers are subject to rude comments, verbal abuse, hostility, and harassment by members of the public who are just rude and disrespectful in general, and on a regular basis. Having thick skin and control over ones emotions is a non-negotiable requirement of the job. This guy has neither. The behavior recorded was absolutely unacceptable. If you watched the dash camera footage you can see and hear that the officer was angry and annoyed when he passed the bus, but continued on to the call, only to be further annoyed when it was obvious his assistance was not required. He turned around and picked a fight. I dread running into this guy or one like him someday. He was actually standing in the street cursing and screaming at these men about failure to yield for an emergency vehicle! The last time I checked an ambulance was also an emergency vehicle. This officer has plainly lost it if he ever had it, and if I was a member of that department I would be calling for his dismissal. What an embarrassment.

[liselle3]

This cop obviously should be fired - if he has this much of a power trip going on, he has no business carrying a weapon. What a first class arse.

[Randyne]

Wow. How clueless are you people. The ambulance was runnning with out lights, its clear the patient was not in danger. The paramedic dis-obeyed orders did not follow the instructions of the officers. He lucky they didn't shoot him. One simple rule in a balanced society. When instructed by a police officer to stay where you are --- Listen.

[rednursercr]

Police do not have cart blanch to behave any way they please. How clueless you are that you don't know ambulances often run without lights when to do so would cause further distress to the patient. If you think that cop did not know that you are fooling yourself, he knew it. That paramedic stated clearly and calmly that there was a patient in their rig and that guy was so out of control he could not comprehend simple English. If you want guys like that walking around with guns, badges, pepper spray, and handcuffs, more power to ya but don't complain when your the one in their sites.

[Randyne]

Wow. How clueless are you people. The ambulance was runnning with out lights, its clear the patient was not in danger. The paramedic dis-obeyed orders did not follow the instructions of the officers. He lucky they didn't shoot him. One simple rule in a balanced society. When instructed by a police officer to stay where you are --- Listen.

[texbelle123]

Officer Martin didn't realize an ambulance was carrying a patient.
What, he would have acted like a human being if he had?

This man has no business carrying a badge and a gun, I don't care how "honorable" he served in a war where we are torturing people.

And if his superiors really don't think he did anything wrong, they should be fired as well.

Geez. When are we gonna stop seeing these kinds of reports on policemen? It's time to clean house and get rid of the "I'm the boss" cowboys wearing uniforms of any sort.

[apple2pie]

The police officer needs to be reassigned or fired ...he doesn't have the right temperment for work with the public and maybe others in general. I the patient in the ambulance had had a heart attack the officers stupidity could have cost a life.

[barbaram99]

There are good and cops. This at the centre of this story is not fit to be a cop and I am a lay person. I am appwlled. Cleaely he took his whiteness too far. I am white. It is meqnning less to me. A cop has no business flying in a rage. Time he/she hang up the bagde and leave. That cop was wrong no matter where happened. That is more that hate.

[erasmus111]

by jimmytorino June 16, 2009 9:56 PM PDT
We are to believe that the lights were not on because the patient somehow would have been disturbed by them? I think not!!!


I think so!! Here, if it isn't an extreme emergency, they don't put on the lights and sirens. Especially if it is upsetting to the patient.

And with how CRAZY your cops are becoming, the paramedics probably thought if they didn't, the cop would start shooting at them or something. Or maybe cut them off. I wouldn't put anything past them.