Paramedic: Officer Was In "State Of Rage"

(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."

[epalos]

Police are protected from their own stupidity. There are laws in place to protect them and they know it. Some live carelessly because they are feeling above the law.

Don't know about you. Where I work at least 10-20 calls are recorded and played back for me to get a raise, a new schedule, a bonus, even to post for new position I must maintain a centain number of perfect
calls.

I had a police officer decide my husband was not alive by the fact that he felt cold. I had just(15 mins earlier)seen my husband lay across my foot of the bed, after going to the bathroom. He lay on the floor of my bedroom for hours until he was taken to the frigerator at the morgue. Later the ME stated he had died after 4-6 hours in a coma!! That's when i realized he was not dead. The story was put together below.

In March when my husband was not his normal self, (as he was taking care of his terminally ill father)I made and appointment to see a Dr. After he was drug tested and waited to get results to make sure there was not drug abuse. He was given a medicine that reacted very badly and was admitted into the hospital. I felt at fault, since I sent him.
He was treated in the hospital for 8 days. He showed signs of being over medicated on the phone. I was told they were just trying to get his dosage right. So when I picked him up I was so happy he seemed to be himself not slurring or garbled like a junky about to pass out. The next day he came home and was slurring and acting strange and had been gone all day. I later found out he had no medicine at all the day I picked him up from the hospital. I found him going through our trash, he had sliced my new sofa,torn the house apart brought a stranger home, and was crying, something he had never done. He just did not cry.
He said he felt sick, I checked he had only taken 1 of his many doses prescribed. I sent him up to get a shower for two hours, (he took long cold showers when he felt sick always). He laid on the bed uncovered and talked to me until he went to sleep just five minutes not long. I went down stairs and heard him get up. I went upstairs he was laying down again across the end of the bed. I waited til he snored again and cut off lights walked back in the room he was not snoring. I checked he was not breathing. I called 911 and awoke my roomate that had been asleep for a while. He continued CPR as I went down to meet the EMTs. The police came first the first cop walks in and touches his arm, tells my roommate to stop CPR and said he's been dead for hours, (because roommate was asleep he did not know how long he'd been there)then the officer cancelled the ambulance.
I never knew until the day of his funeral. I was answering questions for the police and thought that I heard EMTs running up the stairs. Later i asked to see him and was shocked his stomach was warm. They denied and said it was in my head. The ME said he'd been in a coma for atleast 4-6 hours before he died.

[dannys41]

i live around the area were all this took place and personally know e few state troopers and have watched all the videos. in my opinion the trooper was at fault some get a gun and a badge and think they are god. incicidents like this makes us loose any respect we have if any for all police officers. even in their real life away from their job from my relationship with some troopers they think that they are above the law.i cant tell you how many times ive seen troopers fly by doing 100 plus just to pull over and talk to another trooper. its rediculouse and puts all of our lives at stake because they can. as far as im concerned all they are is glorified ticket writers. they sjhould spend their time and money and help the community instead of buying new cars and hiring more power trip goobers. then maybe we could show them some respect. they abuse the power they are givin and the hand-ful of troopers trying to do right thing are insulted by these kind of actions. i know im some months behind this story because i just seen it but the officer should be fired and put in charge of fries at mcdonalds.

[wslylibby]

This **** is disgracefull. That racist son of a ***** 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...

[epalos]

The problem is every story is not black and white. I do not HAVE to let anyone into my house unless they have a badge. But, if i see an accident and someone says I am a nurse can I come in and what ever!!! It's my responsibility to respond appropriately. THAT is called GREY!!! Life is grey sometimes its right and wrong at the same time.

Even if what you say is the only law. (lights and siren must be on)The moment the Officer was asked to speak to the other EMT in charge. I have no doubt that the officer was then prompted to say,"Why did you not pull over when you saw my lights"? Or "Did you not see my lights and hear my sirens"? Offcr Martin would have then been advised they were on their way to the hospital with a patient. At that point, Offcr Martin had the option of stating: only in emergency with lights and yada yada yada. Then Mr White could/would say this is an emergency, but we don't frighten the patient into thinking possible heart attack(they stay more calm). That was it, nothing more. But Offcr Martin was walking up with a BRUISED EGO. So he assumed he was being disrespected and his tunnel vision allowed him to not hear another thing.
So, his claim to not know of a patient inside: A BIG ASS LIE
So, his mention of being in Iraq?:Who gives a ****, so has half the people I know they ...didn't come back *****.
So, Why now is he claiming he was mad cause he "thought he was flipped off" That would have been the first thing out of his redneck, backwards, my ass don't need to be on the f*&^%ing streets with a badge and a gun, mouth!
This is just another uptight, my dick gets hard when I **** on you, broke back,PUNK ASS F*%#K UP!!!
But, Hey lets give him a vacation, so his ass doesn't get us sued.
I do have friends that are also in law enforcement. He is what sets people off to hate the good cops. They do exist, he is not one of them.

[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.

[paul3210]

If you review the dashcam footage you will see that the ambulance yielded as soon as it was safe to do so considering the ambulance was conveying a patient at the time. It was unable to yield immediately because of a vehicle slowing and pulling over in front of the ambulance. The ambulance cannot slow and stop as quickly as a smaller vehicle and so safely maneuvered around the vehicle so as to ensure the patients saftey whilst it stopped.

Very often lights and sirens are not used for patients with a cardiac issue or suspected cardiac issue because it make the patient more anxious and can cause their condition to worsen.

I would expect any competent member of the emergency services to be be congisant of these facts and act accordingly.

Additionally the dashcam footage clearly shows that the officer was informed at an early stage during the stop that the ambulance was conveying a patient to hospital and that the situation should be resolved at the hospital after the ambulance crew had discharged its responsibility for the patient. At that point the officer must desist and follow the ambulance to the hospital. It is clear that his actions were not consistent with upholding public saftey but more aligned with building up his own already over inflated ego.