Grand Jury Indicts Nurse but not 5 Officers in inmate death

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in Inpatient Oncology/Public Health.

I didn’t see a post about this case out of North Carolina yet, but I might be missing it. From video footage, it appears 5 detention officers were kneeling on a hog-tied inmate who stated about 30 times that he couldn’t breathe. The prison nurse is seen checking on the inmate. The inmate ends up dying from hypoxia. But somehow she is the one being indicted for involuntary manslaughter but not the 5 officers? 

https://journalnow.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/no-indictments-for-5-officers-accused-of-killing-john-neville-at-forsyth-jail-grand-jury/article_7f36f92c-b44a-11ec-be5d-6ba1a6a0bc9d.html

 

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Specializes in ER.

I don’t see anything inappropriate so far. I’d prefer they let him sit up postictal and I hope they called an ambulance.

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

It sounds like they will review charges again for the guards the next time the grand jury convenes (I hope??).

As someone who lives daily with the reminder of George Floyd's death (I live 3 blocks from George Floyd Square and drive by the memorial every day), it sounds like there was a LOT inappropriate that happened. The autopsy found that he died from "positional and compressional asphyxia" directly related to being hogtied and prone. How can that NOT be inappropriate??

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/06/us/north-carolina-jail-nurse-indicted.html

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Specializes in Community and Public Health, Addictions Nursing.

This is heartbreaking to read about. After George Floyd's death, I remember there was a lot of talk about law enforcement's use of prone positioning and how it can be dangerous. Why people are still doing this in 2022 the way they are, I can't understand. I found this article online from 1995 clearly describing why prone positioning can be unsafe: 

https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles/posasph.pdf

They hogtied him and had him lay prone because he was post ictal? I'd love to see a hospital or ER try this and get away with it! For the number of staff they had standing around this man, I can't believe there was no other way to handle the situation. But yes, clearly it's the nurse's fault. 

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Making a judgement based on a video clip?? You can't determine fault without hearing/viewing ALL of the evidence.

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Specializes in Inpatient Oncology/Public Health.
2 hours ago, 2BS Nurse said:

Making a judgement based on a video clip?? You can't determine fault without hearing/viewing ALL of the evidence.

Even jurors don’t hear or view ALL the evidence. I guess you never have an opinion on any news story whatsoever? 

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"Even jurors don’t hear or view ALL the evidence. I guess you never have an opinion on any news story whatsoever?" 

Not when it comes to finding a nurse "at fault" for a patient's death.

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