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June 16 update: Paramedic White says Trooper Martin should have badge and gun taken away
More STATter911.com coverage: Trooper’s lawyer says medic is danger to the community; Dash cam video released; Fox News interviews EMS crew & Trooper Martin; Trooper on administrative leave; No charges filed by DA; EMT-B Paul Franks speaks out; Read statements from Toopers Martin & Iker; Troopers identified; Statements from witnesses and the patient; Reaction from police officers; Statements from EMS crew.
OHP now confirms its investigation is complete
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper involved in the confrontation on May 24 with the EMS crew from Creek Nation has been on administrative leave since June 1. OHP officials confirmed the information about Trooper Daniel Martin on Wednesday. An Oklahoma newspaper and a TV station have slightly conflicting reports about the nature of the leave with KOKI-TV reporting it is “voluntary”.
The confrontation was recorded on a cell phone camera by the son of the patient being transported in the ambulance. Dash-cam video was captured in a camera mounted in Trooper Martin’s car. OHP continues to deny requests from news agencies for the video through the state’s Open Records Act. An OHP spokesman did not tell Tulsa World reporter Manny Gamallo on Wednesday the reason for the denial. The prosecutor who looked into the matter and declined to press charges has urged OHP to release the video.
Here are excerpts from Gamallo’s latest article:
OHP Capt. Chris West said Trooper Daniel Martin was put on paid administrative leave June 1 while the patrol’s internal affairs investigation into the incident continues.
West emphasized that the leave is not punishment — the trooper is still being paid — but only routine while an investigation is conducted.
However, West was unable to explain why it took the patrol a week to put Martin on administrative leave. He continued working after the confrontation on U.S. 62 in Paden, seven miles east of Prague.
West said he didn’t know how long Martin would be on leave.
KOKI-TV has some slightly different information. Click here to read and watch their story. Here is an excerpt:
Repeatedly, and as recently as yesterday, FOX23 had asked OHP if the trooper had been placed on leave and OHP’s response, was no.
Apparently, it’s a case of semantics.
The trooper wasn’t placed on leave, he voluntarily went on leave.
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Fox news reported this morning that the mysterious civilian in the Troop car was actually the officer's wife. They also mentioned that Martin is recently home from Iraq and may have overeacted due to his deployment
We will never see the dash-cam video. IMO, he was either asked to take the leave or he voluntarily took the leave to quiet things till this blows over. No matter the reason for his "over-reaction", someone with that kind of mindset should not be carrying a gun and badge.
Cops and Rescue Folks = Oil and Water
Please, don't tar everyone with the same brush. I get along with most LEO's most of the time, but I have one FF that attracts LEO attention like a speeding Ferrari.
We all have our good days and bad days, to suggest that we are oil and water is wrong.
Law Enforcement, Fire, and EMS need to work together for the public's best interest. It is unfortunate that two agencies both intent at fullfilling a public service mission had to overreact during their two different stressfull incidents. I believe any conflicts by professional emerency agencies can and should be resolved thru good communication and mutual respect.
You make good points, but I've seen no evidence yet of any "over-reacting" on the part of the EMS crew. Unless that OHP dashcam shows something different, the LEO was the only one out of line.
cops are oil. fire is water-we have lots of things we mix well with. We are the good guys that help people.
Fire and Law enforcement in my area of the country typically get along fairly well. I work in the paid fire service in colorado, and my dept. has a very good relationship with our local Police. We have created this relation through many years of cooperation, through training on Accident scene management, to teaching CPR. We also invite them to eat with us,thats a great way to build relations. IT CAN BE DONE!
I'm an EMS responder in Southeastern Pennsylvania. We have an excellent relationship with local and state LE (several of our members are sworn officers)
Considering what I've seen written up about this incident, and the video clips, I'd say that the trooper was skating on very thin ice. If the patient in the back of the ambulance had suffered additional harm or died, he would end up as a parking lot attendant in Last Chance, OK. That';s after he lost all his worldly posessions in the law suite.
If he had been deployed overseas, and has come home with serious issues, we don't need him running around with a gun and a badge. That's a recipe for disaster.
(BTW, I'm retired military and understand the pressures our troopers are under after coming back from deployment.)
Who is this trooper's commanding officer. This is as much a management/command issue as anything else.
We have all been in confrontations with our brothers on the other side of the fence from time to time; PD doesn't like us blocking the road and FD gets upset when they let traffic through. There are many other examples of this going on. Both PD and FD have stressful jobs and sometimes you don't have a good day and you lash out at one another. I don't think the degree that this incident went to was warranted on either side; but this type of incident needs to be recognized as an underlying communication problem between two departments aside from the administrative problem it has caused. Instead of trying to point the blame at who is more responsible in this incident, FD and PD need to address the underlying problem: a mutual respect and understanding for one another.
The statement about the officer being a war veteran is also significant. As a veteran of Iraq and a firefighter/paramedic for many years, I can tell you that sometimes it is difficult to adjust back when you have done and seen the things that soldiers have. I can sympathize with readjustment problems in the post-deployment part of one's life; I have been dealing with the issue for over three years and it is the hardest thing I have ever had to do. If this is a factor then it is up to his family, his unit and his brothers and sisters on PD to help him get the assistance he needs so he can find normalcy and get back to living a normal life.
Nobody ever comes home from war; it is an experience that changes you in profound ways, shakes you to your moral core and drops you back into the world damaged in one of many different ways.
I'm guessing "Professionalism", "Honesty", Integtrity" (to name a few) are not in the Oklahoma Highway Patrol's core values or mission statement.
Nothin like taking care of your own, even though the entire world is on to your scam!
This is an indictment of management. OHP should have put him on admin leave right when it happened. I hope some of you reading this now understand why PG is so quick to operational suspend people until the situation is sorted out, regardless if its "fair" or not. If its related to his deployment in Iraq he gets a free pass with me. Again what is OHP management doing for these guys who are coming back ???
Let's face it. Cops are jealous of fire fighters. We both make about the same amount of money, but cops see us as having a much better job.
I always tell them that had they gotten 5 more points on the civil service exam, they could have been firefighters.
This is meant to be funny, but it really is true. Cops are generally dumber than firefighters. Think about your high school graduating class.
Totally unfair calling LEO's dumb. I'm A FF/P and running into a burning building is nothing compared to pulling over a vehicle in the middle of the night, back-up miles away, alone. Think about it. We get all the glory but they have the dangerous job. How many scenes do we stay away from until "they" secure it. You couldn't pay me enough to do that job. Yeah, maybe he over-reacted but I promise, the next time you get a call for a domestic, assault or overdose who are you gonna call?
Just another over aggressive police officer. And if you think about it. If he would have scored higher, he could have been a Fireman. Oh, well
Having spent 11 years in Oklahoma, and dealt with several OHP troopers, this is pretty much par for the course. In other states, the State Police tend to be to top of the class…in Oklahoma, I don't know how it works, but the OHP are systemically unprofessional, rude, and racist. They act like frat boys when on patrol, and take ordinary insults/situations personally. They were definitely the most unprofessional group of LEO's I have ever had the unfortunate experience to deal with.
I THINK I WILL BYPASS OK. NEXT TIME I TRAVEL. ALL THE OFFICERS INVOLVED IN THIS SHOULD BE FIRED.
SCAREY , THEY CARRY GUNS.
Power hungry thug with stupidity equal to the size of his ego.
cops are dangerous and you need to be fearful of them. What else is there to say? They'll always blame the paramedic crew (or whoever) and they'll arrest anyone who disagrees with them. Think Gestapo and you'll have the right idea.
This is so typical of ALL law enforcement. They ALL think and act like they are the public's Army drill instructors. Even when I have been stopped for a simple speeding ticket they try to intimidate you. I seldom get stopped since I don't fit the profile they are targeting, i am white and an adult so I seldom have any interaction with them. But I know many cops and they are ALL cut from the same power hungry cloth.
Just another stupid power hungry cop. He should be in prison, not carrying a gun.
Bottom line is that this classic road rage. That cop got ****ed off because the amulance didn't get out of the way fast enough, and he acted out of anger.
And where's the line between restraining someone and assaulting them? Pushing a person up against the side of an abulance with your hand around their throat and choking them is clearly assault.
I credit that EMT for keeping his cool the way he did. I dont think I would have been able to stop myself from fighting back.
And if this officer is having trouble dealing with demons left over from his deployment(s) then he needs to get off the street and into counseling. It's no excuse.
-Steve
The officer was WRONG. Even if, and I emphasize 'IF', he had cause to stop the emt's bus, he was still wrong.
He askd the emt driver, towards the beginning of the clip, "don't you know you're supposed to pull over for an emergency vehicle?"
What does this officer think an ambulance is???
When he learned that there was a patient aboard, he should have had the sense to offer to clear the way. Instead he opted to threaten, then assault the driver.
Further, If this officer was military, I have to wonder what his MOS is / was. It seems to me that while it might have been 31A/B (military police, officer/enlisted respectively), it was almost definitely not 11A/B (infantry officer/enlisted) or any other of the combat arms.
Had this officer been in a combat unit (as opposed to a non-combat unit that was involved in combat), he would have been letter equipped to keep his head squared away in a deteriorating situation that could have easily necessitated an urgent need on his part for the services of the very ambulance crew that he was so intent on causing trouble for.
The EMTs on ambulance crew displayed absolute professionalism, especially Mr. White who not only remained calm, but offered solutions to the situation with the obvious idea of getting his patient to the hospital. WELL DONE EMTs.
I've had my share of interactions with police in places from Turkey to Arizona and any number of places in between, Many of them are friends of mine. Likewise, many of my family members and friends are EMT/FFs/Paramedics. They will all tell anyone who asks, that communication and an open mind get jobs done and save lives.
This officer has my thanks for his service with the military and I'll cut him some slack for this incident in recognition of his service. That said, he NEEDS to be OFF THE STREET until he can A)learn to think beyond the brim of his hat, and B)get some help in laying to rest whatever demons he is dealing with.
TRASH!
Maurice did what was right … I know Maurice well and he will always do what is right. The officer is fortunate that Maurice did not handcuff him and put him under arrest.
Ergo
Where's AL SHARPTON and JESSE?
Hillbilly
I am certain you had some good qualities as a officer. It took a lot of money to train you it is sad you have thrown it all away! The public holds you at a higher level of regard you should be ashamed of your actions ! Sorry Mr Daniel Martin you are no longer capable of serving the public. Your loss of control is unacceptable. Need to seek help for your anger problem. Also you must find another line of work ! This must never happen again period !
So here it is almost the end of the month .. has there been any decision from OHP yet? I keep looking for any updates .. I would hate to see this one swept under the rug and forgotten about.
I am wondering was the ambulance traveling with Lights and Siren while enroute to the Hospital? If so then the Oklahoma officer is completely wrong for he should yeld to the Ambulance. If they were not then it is there obligation to pull to the Right. The drive should always be aware of his surrounding while operating the ambulance. As soon as the Police were made aware of the patient in the back of the ambulance they should of let them continue. The police there for are NEGLIGANT and coused a DELAY in the patient receiving care and should be held liable for this in criminal and civial court.
full dash cam video here..
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/80665933/
All cop's are power hogs! they could have let you take the women to the E.R. but know they need to play some more power games. I see the E.m.T did nothing wrong if they have someone in the back of there truck why would they pull over they trying to get them to the E.R. they have a right to blow light, stop sign even yaild signs cops S_ck they all are bad.
As for the trooper… You picked this job so deal with it don't give me this crap about how hard there job is! you pick being a trooper you wanted to be in this went to school for it and spent lots of money to have this so called hard job! So shut the hell up! you sound like a baby with no milk. Its your job do it right or get the hell out dang I'm so sick of hearing power troopers I feel so bad for that cop…Nope not me you got the job you seek and now you can't handle it! Go work at MC Donald's then… dummy! did you think that by being a trooper you where going to make toys for santa? lol wow