Click here and scroll down for STATter911.com’s previous coverage of Maurice White Jr.
Creek Nation Paramedic Maurice White Jr., who was involved in a May scuffle with an Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper, was arrested today following a traffic stop this morning in the town of Vian. White , who was in his own car when he was pulled over, is facing a variety of charges including speeding, not having a driver’s license, not wearing a seatbelt, and resisting arrest.
Vian Assistant Police Chief Brian Chandler, who made the arrest, told reporters the 56-year-old White was booked into the Sequoyah County jail.
Here are excerpts from an article by Rhett Morgan of Tulsa World:
While Chandler was completing a citation, White allegedly approached the police car and was asked to return to his vehicle, police said. “I asked him again to go back to his vehicle, and he said, ‘What was I going to do’ if he didn’t?” Chandler said. “It went downhill from there.”
White’s vehicle allegedly was clocked at 39 mph in a 25 mph zone, Chandler said. He faces fines of $668, said a spokeswoman with the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office. White attorney, Richard O’Carroll, said the allegations are “officer fiat. If he (the officer) says it happened, it happened.
“I think it will never make it to the courthouse door,” he said. “We’re going to contest it right there in the city of Vian. If we can’t beat it in the city of Vian, we’ll bring it on down to the city of Sallisaw, and we’ll deal within the county courthouse. It ain’t going anywhere — for a fact.”
On May 24, White, while working for a Creek Nation ambulance, was part of a tussle with OHP Trooper Daniel Martin.
Martin had stopped the ambulance at Paden after he thought the ambulance driver, Paul Franks, had made an obscene finger gesture, which the trooper felt was an “act of defiance.”
White came out of the back of the ambulance and said he told Martin they were taking a patient to the hospital and asked to continue the dispute there. A physical altercation ensued at the side of the ambulance, a video of which was aired on national TV channels.
Martin served a five-day suspension, levied July 21, for “conduct unbecoming an officer’’ for his role in the tussle with White.
OHP spokesman Chris West said Martin had a right to stop the ambulance and had justification to arrest the paramedic for obstructing an officer, but that the situation could have been handled differently.
O’Carroll called the timing of White’s arrest on Monday “curious,” given that White is scheduled to testify Wednesday in the jury trial of Kristopher Douglas, of Holdenville. Douglas, 28, is charged with obstructing an officer in Hughes County for allegedly not heeding officers’ commands in connection with a Oct. 3 traffic stop, which took place in front of Douglas’ uncle’s home.
Stemming from that incident, Martin and OHP Trooper Tommy Allen were placed on administrative leave for six weeks but cleared of accusations of using excessive force.
“A prosecutor called me and told me my witness had just been arrested before I knew it,” O’Carroll said, referring to White’s arrest Monday “… I’m going to check the cell phone records for everybody.”
O’Carroll said he didn’t think the arrest would affect White’s civil case against Martin. In July, White filed a federal lawsuit in Muskogee, claiming that the OHP trooper violated his civil rights.
Also on STATter911 …
- Where push came to shove & an arrest: FDNY EMS medic & Transit cop scuffle in back of ambulance while patient was being treated. – April 3, 2013
- Must see video: Mississippi fire chief arrested by deputy sheriff at crash scene. Chief got cuffed after standing his ground over safety issues. – July 19, 2012
- Drug raid at Minneapolis fire station. Firefighter & others arrested. – March 28, 2012
- Must see video: Paramedic arrested by police. Clashes over scene safety are apparently universal. – January 23, 2013
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Ok, I get that LE and Fire/Rescue have and always will have some issues with eachother, but we all seem to work well together. In my opinion White just seems to have and issue with any LEO’s. Someone please tell him to get the chip off his shoulder and move on, or find somewhere that LEO’s won’t care who he is, I hear Iraq is nice this time of year.
Another example of Police abusing the power given to them. Now if only there was a publically funded group of people to police the police. Just sick.
Does seem a little fishy. But he is a marked man for sure where ever he goes around there.
all i can say is karma
What’s a deputy chief doing making traffic stops? Personally I was greatly offended by the whole affair in May. Its an ambulance knuckle head. Ask where are u going b4 u go head long into ur ego trip. This should be investigated.
Looks like this guys true color is starting to show. POS.
Vian is a town with 2,000 residents. Deputy Chief probably out patrolling the streets because department is VERY small. Sounds like this time its White who went too far. Turned a traffic violation into something more. Does White feel a sense of entitlement? Does he feel that because OHP made a mistake in judgement that he’s exempt from dealing with cops?
are you from this area or oklahoma period?
I have been a paramedic for 14 years and a police officer for 5 years. I obviously don’t know all of the facts in this case so I cannot even come close to making an opinion on what the final disposition should be. What I do question is why White felt he needed to get involved at all. This incident should have only been between the Trooper and the Driver of the ambulance. Did White not abandon his patient when he decided to get involved? It appears to me that if the situation could not be resolved quickly on scene then another ambulance or a driver should have been dispatched to continue the transport.
sorry.. but even if you are a medic and p.o. your argument doesn’t make sense. Say the person being treated was shot and was close to dying, ok lets wait for another ambulance and argue till this person dies.
Imagine that… Police harassing a witness. It is bringing to light that if you testify against them they will go after you.
Those officers in the case obviously delayed Pt care. They should be sued for it. The officers were obviously driving dangerously. They covered the information up. It took a lawyer for them to release what they have to by law. It is a horrible mess the OHP started.
The reason that Texas doesn’t fall into the Gulf of Mexico, because Oklahoma sucks.
I nominate all the parties involved to star in their own reality TV show.
I said it then, I will say it again. The previous episode highlighted problems on both sides. This just goes to show that Paramedic White has some anger issues to work out.
This video doesn’t do the situation justice. There’s a second video that shows the event from the start. White was clearly just trying doing his job and trying to get his patient to the hospital as soon as possible. He asked to officer to go to the hospital before discussing the charges, to which the officer pretty much said “hell no!”
You can see, in the other video, that white was going about the situation calmly and intelligently (at least at the start) and the officer was the one who was VERY agressive.
After reading about the previous case where white was supposed to testify, it really seems like the officer was out to get White from the very start. Even his reasons for pulling over the ambulance were absurd… a rude gesture.
In the video it even seems as though the officer said they were speeding to reach a crime… if that were the case, they wouldn’t have stopped because of a “rude gesture”.
your out of your mind.. that cop had a hard on thr minute he approached the vehicled.. my father is a Sherrif and said that his behavior was rediculous
seems this guy is the problem not the trooper,maybe anger managment
WHERE DOES THE COP GET THE AUDACITY TO PULL OVER AN AMBULANCE…… WHY WASN’T THIS MATTER ADDRESSED AFTER THE PT WAS DROPPED OFF AT THE HOSPITAL…….TYPICAL COP BS…..
That’s what White said at first… after the cop says he’s going to arrest him for “interfering with justice”, White says, pretty much word for word “Okay, let’s go to the hospital and you can arrest me or talk about this.”
The officer wanted nothing to do with that.
Jimmy, the ambulance was not running with lights and sirens. The cop didn’t know there was a patient in the back. When the cop tried to talk to the driver, paramedic White copped an attitude. Things escalated from there on both sides. Read up on the facts before you comment, moron.
Thats true thats really weird that they didnt have their lights on. On the other hand, the officer left the scene he was in such a hurry to get to, to settle a personal grudge? And the moment he found there was a patiant he should have let it rest till they reached the hospital. There is just no other side to that part of it.
I don’t think ambulances put their lights on unless they see cars in their way… That way they don’t bother anyone in their homes unless needed.
The rest of what you said is complete truth. I’m not one to blame without reason, but I can’t help but think the cop really WAS out to get White.
He was never disrespectful, the Original officer tried to pass an ambulance running code 3 in the original dash-cam view the officer was in the wrong..then it escalated and the officer was being VERY inappropriate, esp WITH a pt present and disregarded. The cop has tiny P*&^% disease. I am shocked he passed the psych and is allowed to carry a firearm!
If they were not, then why did the vehicle infront of the ambulance yield to it and pull to the right moments before the PD vehicle overtook the ambulance prior to being code 4′d from the incident at the gas station? OBSERVE the film. You are a trained observer, are you not. Did you notice the officer cut off another vehicle while leaving the drive way? What was his freakin hurry? Endanger two lives just to satisfy his ego? Seriously? Psych eval needed for that guy…
As for not knowing there is a Pt in back..there was a family member riding in front passanger side, and the MEDIC is not up front. Hmmm, if you work EMS, what would be your first impression? Non uniformed individual up front, no sign of other crew member, driver of ambulance didnt see him because he was observing the POV that had just pulled to the right, that he was now passing…what could possibly be going on here? OH, and did you happen to notice rate of speed the officer was traveling when he overtook the rig? Now what do we know children about sirens and speed when overtaking other vehicles? Hmmm?
As a group (PD/EMS/FD) all watched the dash cam views and came up with about 8-10 different “what the hell was he thinking ” occurances…just from that part. The rest… even the cops wanted to know why the “little man” was still carrying his badge.
As a former trooper, with 20 years of service, the actions of this officer are not only an embarrassment to the profession but borderline criminal, officers like OHP TPR.Martin are the reason why there’s such negative bias towards law enforcement, I don’t know why the state of Oklahoma allows this trooper to be a representative for their state, nevertheless to enforce the same laws that he has proven repeatedly not to abide himself.
This is truly shameful
W.G.
Well said guy. Can’t be put any differently.
P.O. Midic Said: I have been a paramedic for 14 years and a police officer for 5 years. I obviously don’t know all of the facts in this case so I cannot even come close to making an opinion on what the final disposition should be. What I do question is why White felt he needed to get involved at all. This incident should have only been between the Trooper and the Driver of the ambulance. Did White not abandon his patient when he decided to get involved? It appears to me that if the situation could not be resolved quickly on scene then another ambulance or a driver should have been dispatched to continue the transport.
Joyce Says: Not only do you not know the facts, your read comprehension is called into question also when you asked: Did White not abandon his patient when he decided to get involved?
My questions to you are: What kind of dumb ass question is that? Why did you even post here? Are you so stupid as to not realize that the officer APPROACHED HIM and told him, he was under arrest? The man was in the truck minding his own business. Being that the officer approached him and told him he was under arrest, it was the officer that got him involved. I noticed that you did not accuse the driver of “abandoning” his patient when he stepped out of the truck upon the orders of the officer. So why should your assessment of Maurice be any different? The man was told he was under arrest. At that moment he became involved dumb dumb. It’s just like some of you cops to side with the bad actions of other cops. It’s always the victim’s fault for “forcing” a cop to behave badly isn’t it? (Joyce shaking her head)
I may be confused and if so I am sorry but the officer clearly was speaking to the driver. He got mad when White interfered and told him to get back inside. It also seemed like he thought the driver was the one who flipped him off though I read it was white. Regardless, POmedic is correct, White should not have abandoned his patiant, short of being dragged out at gunpoint. The differance between the driver and primary caregiver is huge; depending on the injury White was likely responsible for giving intermediate care to keep her alive. The cop was totally out of line but patiant care rules are very clear about abandonment.
White was the “group leader” (I forget the term used) of that ambulance group. There may have been a third person taking care of the patient while White came out to try and convince the cop to let them get the patient to the hospital ASAP.
White may not have acted exactly as he should have, but the cop was WAY WAY WAY more out of line.
W.G. said: As a former trooper, with 20 years of service, the actions of this officer are not only an embarrassment to the profession but borderline criminal, officers like OHP TPR.Martin are the reason why there’s such negative bias towards law enforcement, I don’t know why the state of Oklahoma allows this trooper to be a representative for their state, nevertheless to enforce the same laws that he has proven repeatedly not to abide himself.
This is truly shameful
My Say: Thank you sir, for your honest assessment of this terrible situation. Indeed, it is as you said, truly shameful. Thank you also, for serving so long. That is a job that few of
us will ever know the depth of. Yet, I want to extend my appreciation to you for your 20 year service. Last year, we lost two deputies so needlessly, here in Okaloosa county. They were on what they had believed to be another domestic violence called. The wife, at the hospital reported the husband’s abuse. They went to the shooting range to arrest him. When the husband resisted arrest, one of the officers tasered him. Somehow, when the man felled to the ground, he was able to get up while being tasered. He came up shooting at the 2 policemen. He shot and killed one officer. Then the man ran and got into his truck. The other officer ran to the other side of the man’s truck and opened the door. When the officer did that, the man shot him in the face, killing him instantly.
This was so very sad. The only consolation I received in this horrible matter was that the man was killed in the police chase when he lost control of his truck. The policemen never suspected that this guy was going to react this way, because of who he was. He was prior military with an outstanding career history. A very good soldier…Caucasian…no history of mental problems. But something went wrong that day and we all felt that the officers took too much for granted in that they had to know he was armed being that he was at a firing range.
Anyway…20 years as a State Trooper is to be commended. I
don’t have the patience for people in that way…LOL!
AB watch the videos. Maurice White did nothing wrong in any of it. He tried explaining there was a patient as did everyone involved. As Martin’s Lawyer said “Martin didn’t hear them say there was a patient in the back or it didn’t sink in right away.” Really? The cops job is to listen and it should sink in immediately. He was too busy ego-tripping too care.
white later admitted to flipping off the cop. it was on fox news this morning
After that mistreatment, I'd be pissed at them too! I don't blame him one bit.
Why couldn’t the cops just followed the Ambulance to the ER and then gave the ticket… who in there right mond pulls over an ambulance with a patient inside on the way to the ER??? WHO? I hope the same thing happens to their mothers when they are on the way to the ER. WTF!
Wish I could see the cops try to make a traffic related arrest on the paramedic in the back of the ambulance while attending a patient stick against the guy who was not even driving. Paramedic in back’s only mistake was stepping out on his own instead of not having them drag him out which would have probably been next. When the family of the patient sue that cop personally I wish I could be there to watch. As a retired/now disabled Paramedic//RN//ICU//ACLS Instructor, how in this world did the cops dream this mess up. It would have been SO EASY to just meet the unit at the hospital. Were I a OHP cop there now, I’d be PRAYING that I never need an ambulance. Andy
Okay being, a police officer for 20 years and prior to that being a marine all of this is a whole bunch of b.s. How is the officer supposed to run code 3 and try to pass the ambulance when there was a whiter car in the shoulder or may have been pulling over. The ambulance was just fine and when the cop arrived at his scene he didn’t even get out, why is that? common procedure is you get out and become alert with the scene. Then when the cop pulled over the ambulance which was for what reason? flicking you off. Get the hell over it try bullets flying past your head and not getting mad people trying to kill you. I am sorry but The cop was in the wrong. Besides where did the ambulance driver and Mr white have time to call for another ambulance. I do agree that it should have been called but when did they have time. As far as Mr white just getting involved he is the higher rank and in command of the team so he had to asses the situation and the cop even said here now. so
I truly wish Trooper Martin would have been charged criminally.. Put his, little-man ego, weenie-ass in prison..
Disgusting.. Shame on you State of Oklahoma for allowing this maniac to carry a gun and represent your laws…
supposed to protect and serve instead they harass and assault and intimidate we need some real qualifications to be an officer not just a bunch of rejects that can’t do anything else except take a two week cleet school then ride around in their cars wasting tax payers dollars harassing ppl
A law enforcement officer cannot interfere with an attempt to resolve a life-threatening situation, no matter what the state is. If such action is commenced, it is against the law, commonly called assault. I am a medical responder.
I hope this went to court and was resolved. If not, I hope it went to appeals, etc.
I am appalled. horrified, and alarmed by this video! There is no instance in which the law enforcement has the edict to stop and impede the attempt to save the life another human being.
believe me this wouldn’t have happened in the Rocky Mountain region. I have worked from coast to coast. the south is still in it’s own world.
Stupid pig
So let's see here. An ambulance driver is rushing an injured patient to the hospital and forgot to sieg heil a police officer on the way so, of course, he was pulled over and charged with crimes and arrested.
Sounds like Nazi Germany to me.
Cops are one-half a chromesome away from being a NAZI.
When a police officer physically grabbed the ambulance driver around the neck and used the language he used – at that point, the police officer should have done the honorable thing after dishonoring the uniform and resigned his position. He does not deserve to wear the uniform. Additionally, he knew nothing of the medical condition in the back. The command that gave him such light sentence should do the same and resign. They are all a disgrace to the uniform and this nation. Where there is strife – there is much hidden sin. The governor of Oklahoma is just as guilty.
Was there some hazard or threat of safety at the time when this EMS action was occuring, which warranted pullover ? Was the Ambulance Driver a threat to anyone? Just curious what the cause was that was emparently so important for the stop there. Rather than down the road after the patient was delivered to their destination. What if it was something life threatoning, and the stop prevented them from getting care ASAP…
Wierd how members of the EMS do fight other members at times. Differences asside, what about those they all serve and protect?
“I asked him again to go back to his vehicle, and he said, ‘What was I going to do’ if he didn’t?” Chandler said. “It went downhill from there.”
Did he know his cop car could record voices? It’s clear that he DIDN’T say anything like that… and, really, it went downhill the moment the cop decided to get the ambulance to pull over.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQIkFT7UCUg