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.
I couldn't be happier that the hospital changed their policy back in August, and that they took a fairly hard stance, IMO. It was beginning to seem as if they were more interested in self-serving/self-preserving outcomes than in the ethical and lawful treatment of their employees.
That said, I do wish they would've made different changes. There is really no reason to say that the police may not interact with any nurse, when instead they could've stopped with the policy being that ALL requests for information must be addressed to nursing administration. I fear their new declaration/rule will not be workable; it'll likely be bad for ED nurses, for sure. This "angry man" does not represent the many officers who are beyond respectful in their interactions with nurses. I have seen nurses be flat-out wrong about something and the officers carefully defer until the issue could be cleared up. EDs and law enforcement need to be able to work together without (figuratively) everyone's hands being tied behind their backs.
I'm hoping this new rule is temporary for them. Having it as a temporary emergency rule/situation while things cool down a bit and a sensible policy can be worked out, may not be a bad idea in light of the incident in question. Wouldn't be surprised if they have a number of terrified and somewhat traumatized staff members on their hands.
Yeah, as a long term plan it's completely impractical. Need police to make the hospital secure. I can see how, do to the level of apparent corruption in this case, they would want to temporarily cut communication. At least until they can implement more protective policies for the staff and restore LE and RN relations.
Privately employed security would be a much different situation, however this ER wasn't staffed by hospital security guards, it was staffed by LEOs.
Yes, and I just spent hours on another site, in the comments.. and I finally figured out what she should have done. referred the outside cop to the UU cop. explained to the UU cop what the problem was and let HIM deal with Payne.
Her hospital has now issued an order barring police from patient care areas period. They also are no longer allowing the police to talk directly to the nurses (they will have to talk with nurse supervisors). I think this is an important line in the sand. I'm glad a hospital is standing up for whats right.
I'm hoping this new rule is temporary for them. Having it as a temporary emergency rule/situation while things cool down a bit and a sensible policy can be worked out, may not be a bad idea in light of the incident in question.
From all the reporting I've seen on this incident, they had "a sensible policy worked out," one that the hospital, local police, and local courts had all agreed on, but this officer refused to abide by it.
The patient in question is a victim of an incident initiated by another individual and the LEOs' high-speed pursuit of said individual.
We do not need a tox screen for every situation in the ED, including one like this.
Even if we did get one, LEOs don't get to walk in and demand to know our findings in such a manner. They may have a "right" to the information, but there is an accepted procedure for determining that and for releasing the information to them.
As agreed to in the policy that was already in place.
Her hospital has now issued an order barring police from patient care areas period. They also are no longer allowing the police to talk directly to the nurses (they will have to talk with nurse supervisors). I think this is an important line in the sand. I'm glad a hospital is standing up for whats right.
Actually, that policy was put in place weeks ago after unsat response from PD to Hospital concerns. It was a desperate move by the Hospital to protect staff in the short term while Nurse Wobbels FOIA'd the bodycam and released it to get the necessary contrition that PD wouldn't show without public outrage.
From all the reporting I've seen on this incident, they had "a sensible policy worked out," one that the hospital, local police, and local courts had all agreed on, but this officer refused to abide by it.
Oh, I agree. And actually, I've never been certain why any of this became about the hospital's "policy" anyway, since their policy was simply a restatement of the law! That jerk that was talking about [paraphrase] "your policy doesn't supersede my LAW" seems to utterly have not understood that (nor the law, for that matter).
Anyway, my point of view as an ED RN is simply that a more extreme policy is bound to create unforeseen consequences that aren't in anyone's best interest.
Yes, and I just spent hours on another site, in the comments.. and I finally figured out what she should have done. referred the outside cop to the UU cop. explained to the UU cop what the problem was and let HIM deal with Payne.
That *may* have worked. Or she may have still needed to be the one who stood up to both of them and said "you're both wrong." I, for one, refuse to make suggestions about "what she should have done." She did absolutely nothing wrong. Nothing.
Very true. That is the way most normal people would react. The resisting arrest is something they can use that such a innocent person would STILL be guilty of in such a situation. Another words, we are to accept what every they do, without resistance.. even when they are wrong. IT's a catch 22.
This is the way the police operate. You are either going to do what I say, or I'm going to make you do what I say. That's the mentality of law enforcement and it stems from their ****** training.
Since they are being trained that way, when they say an officer is going to be investigated, he will be found to have followed protocol. Which is why cops get off, when they are clearly in the wrong. They are just following their training and protocol.
If this has already been said here I apologize; KSL.com in Utah is reporting that Payne has been fired from his part time job with Gold Cross Ambulance because of his remarks that he would be bringing all the indigents to U of U and all the good ones elsewhere.
operations
128 Posts
Yeah, as a long term plan it's completely impractical. Need police to make the hospital secure. I can see how, do to the level of apparent corruption in this case, they would want to temporarily cut communication. At least until they can implement more protective policies for the staff and restore LE and RN relations.