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.

This is extremely disturbing...

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Specializes in Flight, ER, Transport, ICU/Critical Care.

This nurse was illegally detained and will very likely be written a check. I wonder what the Utah law is on this-- IF it requires consent, this LEO has ****** the GOAT and tho will prolly only be hand slapped, cause that's the crappy world we live in these days, but he deserves to be fired. The only way "bad behavior" changes is the threat of badness coming their way and being fired.

Sometimes the most powerful comment in the Federal Court system is —

"Fine, let's just go to jail." I'd had enough of a crazy acting state trooper in a hospital ER and found the back of a Crown Vic safer than the hall of a hospital.

I wasn't a nurse (just a medic) and circumstances were different, but taking medical providers into custody and jail is a big deal and should not be taken lightly by a hyped up out of control State Police Detective working uniform with an agenda - it might not end well for the police. Make sure you know where you stand. Ironically, he was warned too. :geek:

Yep, I went to a jail cell from a hospital. I was out in an hour. Charges were formally dismissed within 48 hours.

I hired the meanest, smartest MF in a suit (criminal defense attorney) @ 10k.

I went on a brutal offense.

Ultimately I took that state trooper into civil recovery in Federal Court (US District & Circuit Appeals) and SEATED A JURY.

The decisions are unpublished, but can be cited with permission.

Tho it ended in a somewhat "forced" settlements, the case still topped mid six figure recovery to me.

Allnurses.com may facilitate and release my contact info to this Utah nurse.

I still believe that we (LEO) are on the same side. The rogues have to be exposed for what they are. Investigations that may be biased have to be exposed for what they are. If everyone just does their job, it's all cool. In my experience these situations only exist when a bias exists.

Play nice.

Stay safe.

:angel:

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Specializes in Urgent Care, Oncology.
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.

I believe I would react the same way. I bet some adrenaline would kick in as well, maybe a little fight or flight response. I could sit here and tell you (and myself) that I would try to be calm but way easier said than done. Sometimes emotions just take over.

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Specializes in Urgent Care, Oncology.

Watching the news conference right now, they're still basically circumventing blame. How sad. The officer has still only been suspended from the blood draw program, not his job.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

This is disturbing on many levels. When a nurse works the ER, ICU...we take certain risks. Calculated risks. But where in this crazy world does it say nurses will be arrested for doing their job.

This is what working in these areas difficult. We deal with medical/legal issues all the time. Specific protocol for drawing "legal" ETOH/Tox screen. Rape kits and chain of command in handling evidence in medical legal cases. We rely on administration and Nurse practice acts to drive policy. Sadly many nurses are not taught chain of evidence and legal ETOH. What makes it worse...each state has it's own laws on what legal BAL is and how to draw them. Some states do allow the Police to draw their own lab and that gets into legal consent/refusal/warrants et.al.

What I find concerning is the violent response from this officer to the Administrator on the phone saying "You are making a big mistake". The violence that officer showed towards this RN is shocking. This nurse was also an Olympic Athlete and metal winner for skiing. She made NO aggressive body language and her tone was modulated and clam. I was so upset for her. I was annoyed that the administrator wasn't there but then I know when I am off hour supervision/AOC (administrator on cite/call) But the real ADMIN or lawyer are not on campus.

I heard an officer talking abut taking all of the indigents to that hospital and the patients with insurance to another hospital. Then the shift supervisor for the police talking abut "Hospital policy interfering with his laws" His laws? Aren't they the state laws?

Why did they need blood from the unconscious truck driver (a part time special deputy in that county) who was a victim of the person running from police that crosses left of center and hits the semi head on. Why do they need the victim's blood....something stinks.

I hope that nurse goes for post traumatic stress from the whole episode. I have PTSD just from watching.

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paisling said:

Not sure why no one else stepped in (physically). Perhaps they were worried about potentially escalated the situation further?

Because interfering with a LEO in the commission of his duty because of a real or perceived mistake is a felony. Hospital security were correct in allowing the detective to make his arrest. As it is, it seems as though the case is pretty clear that this woman was victimized. Had they become involved, they would have legitimate charges filed against them and made it more difficult for the nurse right now and probably at the time of her arrest as well.

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Specializes in Flight, ER, Transport, ICU/Critical Care.

PO

macawake said:

About this

According to the article the reason the police officer wanted to draw the patient's blood was to protect the trucker (the patient), who was not suspected of a crime. Well, color me sceptical... That police officer must have been very motivated to protect the driver considering how far he actually escalated this thing...

The truck driver/patient was injured in a accident where a suspect in a pickup truck was fleeing from the police, and the fleeing suspect hit the trucker/patient head-on.

I am not familiar with U.S. laws and police regulations, but I know that in my neck of the woods, police high-speed pursuits are subject to many rules. The concept of proportionality definitely comes into play.

Chasing a suspect at high speed can be/is dangerous and it places other innocent people at risk. When you pursue a suspect with lights and sirens that obviously creates a lot of stress for the person trying to evade arrest. They normally don't give a darn if they hurt someone else, they just want to get away. They can be drunk or under the influence of narcotics and lousy drivers. They might even commit suicide with the help of another vehicle (deliberate crash) when they realize that they can't get away.

The prudent police officers who pursues a suspect, should always consider whether the situation they create poses a larger threat to innocent members of the public, than the suspect would if you'd just let him go (for now). No cop I've ever known, likes to let the suspect get away. With adrenaline squiring out your nostrils you just want to catch the ******, but sometimes it is the safest thing to do and when you get that order over the radio, you stand down. It makes no sense arresting someone for a relatively minor offense if a consequence of making the arrest, is getting people seriously hurt. Cost versus benefit. Proportionality.

I don't know enough details of this case to have a legitimate opinion about it.

I can only speak in general and hypothetical terms. Generally speaking, if I'd been involved in a high speed pursuit involving fatalities and/or serious injuries, my hypothetical boss would probably be happier if the innocent people who got injured were under the influence of something or other. That might make my hypothetical police force a bit less liable.

While I have no idea what exactly motivated the police officer to be so determined about getting a blood sample, I can say that from what I've seen and understand your laws, placing that nurse under arrest doesn't appear to have any legal basis whatsoever. He seemed to have a lot of emotions invested in the situation(seldom a good thing). It was strange. The nurse was super cool and professional (as well as legally correct), and the police officer wasn't. Frankly, I think his behavior was an embarrassment.

If something similar ever happened to me, I would be filing criminal charges for false/wrongful arrest.

This is brilliant. Just brilliant.

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Here is the FULL VIDEO (20 minutes worth). It makes my blood boil especially after they arrest her and another cop justifies the arresting cops actions.

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Specializes in Flight, ER, Transport, ICU/Critical Care.
TriciaJ said:
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.

Been there, done that. FINE, LET'S JUST GO TO JAIL.

Then we marched in U.S. District Federal Court (after a U.S. Circuit Court detour) on Constitutional Issues for civil recovery.

Then state court.

Mid-Six Figures.

Not worth it, but you get what you get, not what you want & I stood my ground.

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Good on the nurse for standing her ground.

Shame on this "police officer" for doing what he did. He should be fired, charged and given a sentence like any Joe off the street. He is not above the law but in todays weak world he will get a slap on the wrist with a scripted apology to the nurse.

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This LEO is a danger to the general public.

This is not a situation where re-education could/should allow someone to keep his job. He knows the dang laws about consent unless he just moved to SL from Timbuktu the same day this happened. He knew full well and willfully escalated this situation.

I do not feel that it is overly dramatic to believe that he is a sociopath.

Never been involved in a lawsuit in my life, but I would see this through and seek whatever legal relief applies, to the absolute max.

Kudos to the nurse. What a fine example of a professional.

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Wuzzie said:
Her demeanor during the incident was spot on. She was calm and professional with the police officer. She followed policy. Had she not it would have opened her up to potential charges/litigation by the patient. That officer was a total richard. You can bet your sweet bippy had he laid hands on me I would have screamed too. I hope he loses his job and his supervisor too. He lost his cool in a situation that was not and should not have been heated. and to think he carries a gun. Scary.

A lot like Detective Danny Reagan on Blue Bloods.

This is why we can't always trust government.

So glad her boss and Admin backed her up. Let's see if they turn on her at any point.

I know police have a seriously difficult job, but they have to follow the law and they have to give respect if they expect it in return. We are all learning.

This sweet and precious nurse will, I hope, get a huge settlement and an apology from this total dog, who gives all police a bad name. You can see he's old and the younger police are amazed by his behavior but do not intervene with their Bro in Blue.

He puts her in the front seat because he knows he's in the wrong. He's trying to terrify her (and succeeding) in the hopes that she or another staff member will back down and draw the blood.

All he had to do was get a warrant or find a family member for consent. Although one does wonder why the innocent victim's blood was needed.

We should all write to the Utah state and federal senators and congressmen, as well as the Governor.

Tremendously disturbing. So glad her coworkers witnessed this and tried to help her.

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