Slap on the wrist for cop who assaulted paramedic
Update to the story about the Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper who was more interested in choking a paramedic than he was in the condition of the patient in the ambulance. Trooper Daniel Martin was suspended for five days and ordered to "anger assessment."
From J.D. Tuccille's Civil Liberties Examiner site:
Slap on the wrist for cop who assaulted paramedic"Anger assessment" is that greatest of meaningless institutional butt-coverings. It allows organizational higher-ups to tell the lawyers that they're doing something without actually doing something. It's nonsense.
What needs to be assessed in a police officer who was fired in 2000 as Chief of Police in Fairfax, Oklahoma, for violent and bullying behavior, and who then endangers a patient in an ambulance and picks a fight while in uniform?
Daniel Martin was out of line, acting like a cartoon cop outraged that somebody didn't "respect mah authoritah." While letting his bruised ego run wild, he behaved unprofessionally and, potentially, put a life at risk.
Five days without pay and a bit of psychobabble are an awfully light slap on the wrist for that sort of misconduct.
the latest
latest episodes
The worst part of this story is that f*cking Nazi with his hands around the mans neck isin't even the cop who is being placed on leave. That guy apparently gets off with nothing at all. Not even a slap on the wrist. Watch the video again.
Here we go again. BB sure loves a good police go crazy story. The truth is if you are a paramedic and you see a police officer you should prostrate yourself and wail adulations and laments. Is it really so hard to grovel and shit your pants if you see a police officer? They're just trying to do their jobs, and they need your cooperation and pants loading if they are going to protect you.
what would you expect? Police frequently kill people and dont even get that much punishment. The only reason anything was done at all was because it was caught on tape. Without that the cop would have beaten him silly, then arrested him for assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest. I remember when I still had faith in the justice system, it was before I turned 14 and realized that a large percentage of police are total adrenaline junkie ego maniacs with a gun. How many times have you seen a man flopping around like a fish from being tazed while the cop repeats stop resisting, or put your hands behind your back? Do they really think that your involuntary convulsions will stop even though you are receiving thousands of volts to your chest? Police are not there to protect citizens, they are there to protect society. The sooner you learn that the better. The police are also not required to protect you. In fact its police like this that you should be protected from. Without them actually being fired and brought up on charges they will continue their slaughter of the constitution and citizens..... I mean what would any jerk with a gun and no liability do?
Did we expect something different in Oklahoma?
Maybe the paramedic will sue for trespass, IIED, etc. Get some justice through civil law, if criminal law isn't gonna work out.
Of course nothing happened, the officers did not break the rule, who is surprised by this anymore?
With police like this, who will police the police?
Now, see, this is exactly the sort of case that can work me up into a lather. These guys deserve a hell of a lot more punishment than the Cambridge cops. This is the sort of case to gnash teeth over.
Stay classy, Oklahoma.
more links:
http://roguemedic.blogspot.com/2009/06/ohp-trooper-update-vii-little-more.html
http://firemartin.com/
contact the OHP office:
choffice@dps.state.ok.us
Daniel Martin badge # 606
Captain's # is ***-***-****
@ #7 who watches the watchmen?
would it possible to get a bill passed affording the death penalty for police caught using steroids?
death penalty for police caught using steroids
No need. Just take their badge and gun away, and prohibit them from ever again working as an LEO anywhere in the country.
It's far too easy to become a cop, and even easier to remain a cop when you really shouldn't. Being a cop should be a privilege, not a right.
I'm an Okie and this is frankly embarrassing. Yet it's also typical behavior of the police everywhere anymore, they are nothing more than an excuse for paid bullies. I would hope the paramedic or his patient would sue the hell out of this guy, but it would probably just get thrown out of court.
"Being a cop should be a privilege, not a right."
and there you have it. Standards should be so high that their honour would be unquestionable. Police today have no standards. Hence no respect.
In Muncie Indiana a Ball State University PD officer killed a drunk kid. He also got a slap on the wrist thanks to public outcry. He is now working for the Muncie PD. It's apparently all ok inside the fraternity of Cops.
death penalty for police caught using steroids
Nah, just put them on the hormone regimen that male-to-femail transexuals use.
the fraternity of cops is another term for the fraternity of gangsters. If they think they can demand fear from the public since respect is too much work, then let them reap what they sow.
Now here a case of police brutally where the officer definitely should have gotten fired.
from the Gates assault:
"I believe that Sgt. Crowley acted in a way that's consistent with his training and national standards," Haas said"
and that is exactly the problem.
Pretty poor behavior I agree. And the punishment does seem out of proportion.
However, I need to point out:
1) Cops are people too, they make poor judgments, have issues just like you and me. Some really suck, met a few, many of the ones I have met are extraordinary and deserve the badge they wear.
2)Anger assessment is not a "meaningless institutional butt-covering". It can be extremely effective way for people with behavioral issues to recognize them and deal with them.
'tiz all you princes and dukes.
Not only the suspension, but he's pretty much been on two months of paid vacation. Someday I'd like to have a little more pride in my state so that when the question "Did we expect something different in Oklahoma?" is posted I can say "Yes!".
#No way, a cop that behaved poorly gets off with a slap on the wrists. I'm flabbergasted. #
looks like the murder of that immigrant to Canada has resulted in some tiny good:
http://www.theprovince.com/tells+cops+severely+restrict+Taser/1821310/story.html
@Cosmicautumn, actually suspension do hurt. It's paid time off, but the base salary for most police (unless they're upper management) is pretty low. Most of them get by working overtime or get side jobs as security (which is technically against the rules). Suspension means no OT, so yes it is hurting him, and though I do think he should have gotten his roid-raged ass fired, it's not like he's sipping beers by the pool all day either.
No one really cares. You get all agro like it's a great big deal, but it isn't. If it were a big deal, the cop would have moved away and be skulking around fearing for his life. Hell, the BART murderer is still wandering around on bail.
"stop resisting"
http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/07/23/nb-witnesses-soldier-fredericton-police-220.html
I have a question. Why does all of the discipline for this fall upon the man's employers, even if they are the police force? If I was to commit assault I would be tried in a court for committing the crime of assault - it seems we're missing a check or a balance somewhere.
Dear cop, one day you could need the help of one of those paramedics, say after being shot by some real criminal. Let's just hope that day they will recognize you.
From a community standpoint, this is a terrible outcome. Overlooking the fact that it further diminishes the public's faith in the police, there will be a large cash settlement in the civil suit. The officer doesn't pay it, the municipality (or since this was a State cop, the State) ends up paying the bill... with tax money. So, by keeping these thuggish cops on the payroll, you are tempting fate that you will continue to pay these settlements.
Reminds me of the ol' Pearl Jam lyrics from 1993.
"Do no wrong, so clean cut
Dirty his hands, it comes right off
Police man"
99% of cops are so evil, they make the decent 1% look bad.
Look... as long as a good cop allows his fraternity (and sorority) of blue get away with this playground bully crap, then there are no good cops. Not one will stand up.
They only thing cops serve and protect anymore is the income derived from tickets, fines, and bail.
how can a nazi be "disgraced"?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/23/cambridge-police-union-pr_n_244048.html
All you need to know about police can be learned from a few nights of GTA:San Andreas.
Incidents like this undermine years of work in establishing good relations between the public and the police. It undermines our civil system and creates serious long-term problems that can not be easily fixed because when kids grow up, seeing this sort of behavior, it tells them that the police can not be trusted and are not working for the community.
There should have been more accountability in this case, even if it were only long-term monitoring of the officer, complete with a psychological review of what went wrong.
No, the seeming steady rise of cases like this do not bode well for American society.
I'm surprised he got even that, if indeed he actually got suspended and they didn't just say he did.
Joe Mommasan @13:
No need. Just take their badge and gun away, and prohibit them from ever again working as an LEO anywhere in the country.
Great, so he goes to work for Blackwater/Xe.
It's my belief that police officers should be chosen at random.
My reason for this belief is that the people who want to be police officers are just the kind of people you don't want to give power to. It takes a certain personality type to seek that much control and many lack the altruistic urges needed. It's more about being in control, feeling inferior and needing something to reinforce your self worth. These people are the ones that shoot a man in the back when he does not comply, these are the ones that strangle ambulance drivers when they refuse to bow down fast enough, and these are the ones that believe fear = respect.
These people do more harm to society than any drug dealer or wife beater ever could.
Irony would be this trooper needing an ambulance and EMS for his own injury and getting his last rage victim.
Cops are just like any other gang, they are just bigger, more organized and better funded using your money to self promote and find ways to take more money. Never trust the police they are not there to help you, unless you're a member of their gang.
I was going to post a snarky/sarcastic answer, but after reading #2's "pants loading" one, I can't....
I'm utterly shocked at this. What an incredible asshole that trooper is.
Ugh. This makes me sick.
Say this incident is only representative of 10% of police officers. That would mean 90% of them are so called "good cops".
Even assuming 90% good/ 10% bad, the 90% are 100% responsible for not policing the 10% and maintaining civil order (because this sort of incident is NOT an example of civil order).
So that means 100% of police officers are responsible for this sort of incident. If they had arrested this officer and tried him for assault and battery, reckless endangerment, etc. then I would have faith in the LE community. But they didn't. And I don't.
This is exactly the sort of recursive problem that occurs everywhere (and quite a bit in the civil rights BB posts). IF you have a tool, how do you use the tool to fix itself? You can't. You can't police the police with the police. You make a gun shoot itself. You can't use a bandsaw to cut itself in half. Politicians can't govern fairly because of politics. Recursive problems.
We need a solution for this problem. We need a government agency who's ONLY prerogative is oversight of the various federal and state law enforcement agencies.
Because they obviously aren't going to do it themselves.
FYI...When cops are suspended without pay, their union will pay the cop for those days. So cops never really go without pay when suspended. It's more like a paid vacation.
I take offense at statements that anger management is useless.
While the behavior of this trooper is inexcusable, there is no need to mock something that has helped lots of people act appropriately under difficult conditions.
Frankly it's a tool set that probably should be taught to all officers of the law to help them under situations that are stressful and that can lead to these kinds of dangerous and inappropriate outbreaks.
I loved how the cop felt that his vehicle was more of an emergency vehicle than an ambulance.
Sorry, most things that can be called an emergency definitely need an ambulance sooner or later. not quite so true for police cars. fair fight, siren to siren ambulance wins in my book. I think in most books actually.
Great, so he goes to work for Blackwater/Xe.
Better than working as a cop. Blackwater/Xe employees are not essentially immune from accountability or prosecution like cops are, at least not inside the USA.
http://aftermathnews.wordpress.com/2007/10/30/prosecution-immunity-deal-hampers-blackwater-prosecution/