Video RN screaming, dragged into police car d/t refused blood draw on unconscious patient!

Nurses General Nursing

Updated:   Published

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:

NEWSPAPER ARTICLE:

Video shows Utah nurse screaming, being dragged into police car after refusing to let officer take blood from unconscious victim - The Salt Lake Tribune

Long video body cam:

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.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out. I believe it will have far-reaching implications for nurses everywhere. I'm also extremely impressed with her demeanor even after. She is a wonderful representation of nursing. Officer Payne...not so much. He's an embarrassment to LEOs.

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I would be not only speaking to an attorney I would want to see this officer removed from the Utah PD and charged with assault under the color of authority. He does not belong on any police force and good for this nurse standing up for her patients' rights. The patient in this case was the victim, not the perpetrator!

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She did everything right. She handled the situation as well as she possibly could have. Security did not step in because they almost certainly would have gotten themselves also arrested with charges of assaulting a police officer, if not shot. I hope we don't forget this, I hope the media and the public watch this story over the coming weeks and months, and we don't let that officer off the hook. I hope (but this is probably too optimistic) that his fellow officers call him out for his unprofessional and dangerous behaviour as well. Unfortunately, he makes them all look bad.

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Specializes in ICU; Telephone Triage Nurse.

Criminy dutch ... I thought the Po-Po and nursing were FRIENDS!

What the ...

Wow ...

I'm rooting for team Alex. She was polite, respectful and abiding - you know, THE LAW?????

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Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.

This is of course, egregious. However, if being arrested I would not scream and fight with the police. No one stepped up to "help" her because it would be of no help. She would be guilty of resisting arrest (still a crime even if it is a false arrest) and others would be guilty of assaulting a police officer or obstructing justice (even if it isn't very just).

The most prudent thing is to cooperate with the arrest at the time. Then hire a lawyer. Sue the hell out of whomever needs to be sued. That's where her hospital should back her. They should make their legal team available to her. They should express their outrage to the media.

If this is one rogue cop, he needs to be seriously disciplined and made an example of. If the entire police force is badly run so that this sort of thing proliferates, then it's time to fire the chief, repeal the sheriff, or whatever needs to be done to clean up from the top down.

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TriciaJ said:
The most prudent thing is to cooperate with the arrest at the time. Then hire a lawyer. Sue the hell out of whomever needs to be sued. That's where her hospital should back her. They should make their legal team available to her. They should express their outrage to the media.

Very salient point but I'm not sure I wouldn't react the same way out of shock and fear. I hope they throw the book at him.

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Specializes in Rehab, acute/critical care.

I applaud this nurse, she did what we are taught to do - advocate for patients. I'm really curious on how this ends but I feel it will be in her favor.

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annabanana2 said:
I hope (but this is probably too optimistic) that his fellow officers call him out for his unprofessional and dangerous behaviour as well. Unfortunately, he makes them all look bad.
TriciaJ said:
If this is one rogue cop, he needs to be seriously disciplined and made an example of. If the entire police force is badly run so that this sort of thing proliferates, then it's time to fire the chief, repeal the sheriff, or whatever needs to be done to clean up from the top down.

The article that I saw said that the other officer(s) present with this guy in the ED were advising him at the time that he was out of line and should back down, but he went ahead with arresting her.

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Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.
Wuzzie said:
Very salient point but I'm not sure I wouldn't react the same way out of shock and fear. I hope they throw the book at him.

Ran this by my retired cop boyfriend. He reiterates that it is always a bad idea to resist arrest and no one should be encouraged to do so. The situation needs to be presented to the district attorney's office who can file charges against the officer and his superiors.

Also, sometimes police are blamed for the deaths of people they are pursuing (if they weren't running from the police, they wouldn't have gotten killed, therefore it is the police's fault). The police may be trying to mitigate a potential lawsuit by showing the innocent trucker had a blood alcohol level. Which doesn't make this any less egregious. According to my BF, this is still a false arrest and the police need to be prosecuted for it. I won't use his exact words - TOS.

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Specializes in Emergency/Cath Lab.

Well she will never have to work as a nurse again. Holy cow.

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I certainly hope this nurse does persue legal action against all of the officers involved. I commend her for advocating for the patient. It is obvious these officers feel they are above the law. Unfortunately, she would probably have to file a civil suit as well, to hit them in the pocketbook or these behaviors will continue. Most police officers are good people, but it seems that that more and more are feeling no obligation to follow the law themselves. :(

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TriciaJ said:
Also, sometimes police are blamed for the deaths of people they are pursuing (if they weren't running from the police, they wouldn't have gotten killed, therefore it is the police's fault). The police may be trying to mitigate a potential lawsuit by showing the innocent trucker had a blood alcohol level. Which doesn't make this any less egregious. According to my BF, this is still a false arrest and the police need to be prosecuted for it. I won't use his exact words - TOS.

That is EXACTLY what they're doing. The plot thickens in this expanded video.

Every Cop Involved in the Arrest of This Utah Nurse for Refusing to (Illegally) Draw a Patient's Blood Needs to Be Fired (UPDATED)

They actually ran the innocent victim's info hoping to find something on him. This is all about trying to figure out a way to avoid a lawsuit.

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