July 31 2017, guy fleeing police crosses median and slams into truck and dies. The truck catches fire severely burning the innocent driver, Mr. Gray, who was taken to SLC University. Police later showed up demanding to the UNCONSCIOUS innocent patient's blood. RN Alex shows them the policy requiring consent, arrest, or a warrant. Hospital administration back up RN Alex.
Police aggressively arrest RN Alex and removes her from the hospital. Officer body cam insanity released today:
In this video, the aggressive officer can be heard saying that he will ensure all the "transients" are brought to this hospitals ED since they won't cooperate after being told the administrators and privacy officer are on their way.
Original Crash (graphic):
Interesting note about Alex, she was a 2x Olympian, US Ski Team member, and national champion is Slalom and GS.
There actually was another law enforcement agency present at the time that failed to intervene, which is where there's been questions in coverage of the incident about whether she has a valid complaint against them.
While many hospitals staff their ED with in-house security, some instead use staff from a local law enforcement agency who are acting as officers of that agency while in the ED. In this case, it was the Utah U police who staffed the ED room, and in Utah these officers are considered a co-equal municipality to city PD, county sherrifs, and is a branch of the state troopers/police. Had this been a normal arrest, there's no real reason to have expected them to get involved, although this clearly wasn't a normal arrest. Watching the video, officer payne was clearly upset at the hospital administrator who was on speakerphone on the nurse's phone, officer Payne initially grabbed for the phone after the administrator stated that he shouldn't be threatening a nurse, when it became apparent he couldn't attack the administrator through the phone, he then attacked the nurse, at which point it certainly could be argued that the PD with jurisdiction over the ED should have stepped in.
Thanks for the info. (I put in my original post that I have not seen the entire video so I appreciate the additional info.)
They'd better have her back because their lack of response during the situation was egregious. They're on very shaky ground.
No, they're not. Interfering with an officer during an arrest is inappropriate. Questioning is ok, disagreeing is ok, polite arguing is ok. But once an officer says "You're under arrest", further challenge needs to proceed through the legal system. There are a whole raft of possible criminal charges awaiting anyone attempting to stop an arrest in progress. Then there is the risk of escalating an already over-excited cop ...
ETA:
I haven't watched the video, but I can conceive that a university cop being loath to challenge a city cop, regardless of the co-equal status. There were guns in the mix ... were the ED security people armed as well? (My phone does not do well with video)
I just hate it when people post things like "Shame on you how are you a nurse with that kind of 'empathy'". "Compassion" and "empathy" are becoming dirty words, used to bash people with whom you disagree.
Interfering with an arrest may be illegal. Whether or not the arrest is actually legal, interfering with it or resisting it can get you shot. Or arrested. Or both.
The video is shocking and horrifying. But to blame Security (probably unarmed) for not interfering is poor critical thinking.
In addition to getting arrested or shot oneself, there is high potential for starting a shooting fight in the ED, putting all the staff and patients in the vicinity at risk. Where's the compassion in that???
No, they're not. Interfering with an officer during an arrest is inappropriate. Questioning is ok, disagreeing is ok, polite arguing is ok. But once an officer says "You're under arrest", further challenge needs to proceed through the legal system. There are a whole raft of possible criminal charges awaiting anyone attempting to stop an arrest in progress. Then there is the risk of escalating an already over-excited cop ...
ETA:
I haven't watched the video, but I can conceive that a university cop being loath to challenge a city cop, regardless of the co-equal status. There were guns in the mix ... were the ED security people armed as well? (My phone does not do well with video)
I wasn't talking about the police I was talking about administration.
I was thinking that as well. I suspect he has an extensive history of abuses he has gotten away with and has likely obtained the blood he seeks a number of times when he didn't have a legal right to do so by being a bully.
I was thinking that as well. I suspect he has an extensive history of abuses he has gotten away with and has likely obtained the blood he seeks a number of times when he didn't have a legal right to do so by being a bully.
His anger at being told 'no' indicates such.
I'm betting the SLC DA and prosecutor are swearing now that they will probably have to review every. single. case where he obtained blood or was involved in any DUI case. What a putz.
Utah Nurse Handcuffed After Refusing to Draw Patient's Blood .....my question is the nurse is the advocate for the patient but who is the advocate for the nurse? I believe that this nurse was a 100% right in what she did and kudos to her for being the patient advocate!
Blood draws and imaging are required to diagnose the reason for the mental status change. Unconscious patients cannot give consent. Any results of the ER work up would be easily available to law enforcement.
Both the cop and the nurse were drama queens.
Did you watch the video of Nurse Wubbels reading the policy to the cop? Did you hear the nurse's supervisor or Admin on the phone telling the cop she was correctly applying policy? And the policy was based on a SCOTUS ruling from 2016, not just a hospital decision.
This cop is a thug, used to bullying people into doing what he wants done. No law or rule or policy is going to stop him.
This "Prince of the City" mentality must stop.
You're usually spot on, BTDT. I'm surprised you missed this one.
I think that would have been exceedingly unwise. Situations like this shouldn't be about additional adrenaline and bravado. Those who were properly trained to potentially have to take down or subdue this "gentleman" (and I use that term ever so loosely) should have intervened in accordance with accepted techniques for handling of such a situation, and anyone not so trained should continue to do what they are trained to do (take care of and secure patients). It's not a matter of "not sticking up for" someone, but it IS about the idea that people tend to not act sensibly or safely when overtaken by emotion.
The mob scene would have been to show support for the nurse who was handcuffed, terrorized, and made to sit in a hot car for 20 minutes by a thug cop who couldn't be bothered to follow the law. It was not about an unruly patient.
Please watch the initial video and google Alex Wubbels. She is the nurse in this case.
Rhonda12
7 Posts
Thanks for the info. (I put in my original post that I have not seen the entire video so I appreciate the additional info.)