Oklahoma State Patrol Trooper Attacks Paramedic
A trooper for the Oklahoma State Patrol was attacked by an ambulance driver last weekend. According to the Department of Public Safety, the trooper was upset that the ambulance failed to yield to him. He also said he was “annoyed” by the gesture made by the driver. The trooper was later arrested and flown to Saint Francis Hospital in Tulsa for a heart attack.
The incident took place in east central Oklahoma. The ambulance was driving down the highway, heading to an emergency room, when the trooper pulled up in front of it. The ambulance driver had no idea that the trooper was there. It wasn’t until the ambulance had reached the side of the road that the trooper walked up and approached the vehicle.
According to the attorney for the Creek Nation EMT, the ambulance had no sirens on. In addition, the attorney questioned the emsa’s urgency to get to the hospital and the lack of lights. As a result, the ambulance was unable to get to the patient.
The ambulance driver, Maurice White Jr., tried to explain the situation to the trooper. But, Martin was still angry with the driver. His anger was not directed towards the patient, but at the paramedic.
The trooper then put a chokehold on the paramedic. Martin was then taken to the hospital for open-heart surgery. After the procedure, he was placed on administrative leave. However, the trooper has been accused of two felony warrant arrests at 7 p.m. and was placed on a five-day suspension without pay.
Attorney James describes Martin as a decorated “American hero” who was fearful for his life and had a 15-year law enforcement career. The attorney described him as a loving husband and father. One day after the incident, James called a news conference and gave a long speech about the incident and his client. Afterwards, the trooper was escorted from the hospital by the state’s department of public safety.
The department of public safety released a dashboard camera video of the incident. It has been viewed more than one million times. Although the footage is not clear, it may show more details of the dispute.
In the related video, the trooper claimed that he saw an ambulance driver make an obscene gesture to him. That is not exactly true. According to the attorney for the Creek Nation EMT, however, the video does show the trooper grabbing the arm of the paramedic.
The trooper’s actions were so aggressive and disturbing that people in the neighborhood were horrified. They were shocked at the way the trooper treated the paramedic and the ambulance. There were also some who said that the trooper beat a man with a nightstick during the arrest.
The incident is now being reviewed by the state’s department of public safety. Meanwhile, the ambulance is expected to be decontaminated for COVID-19. This type of contamination takes more time to clean up.
A number of local officials, including the fire chief of Oklahoma City and the head of the Oklahoma City Firefighters Local 157, have condemned the trooper’s conduct. While the EMSA has yet to take over the ambulance services in Oklahoma City, it is likely the company will soon.