A Utah police chief has apologised after an officer dragged a screaming nurse out of a hospital in handcuffs when she refused to allow blood to be taken from an unconscious patient.
A Utah police chief has apologised after an officer dragged a screaming nurse out of a hospital in handcuffs when she refused to allow blood to be taken from an unconscious patient.
Nurse Alex Wubbels followed hospital policy and advice from her bosses when she told Salt Lake City police detective Jeff Payne that he could not get the blood sample without a warrant or consent from the patient, said her lawyer, Karra Porter.
Police spokeswoman Christina Judd said the agency started an internal investigation within hours of the encounter on July 26 and that the assistant chief has apologised to University Hospital.
«We’re alarmed by what we saw in the video and take it very, very seriously, » Ms Judd said.
Police body-camera video shows Ms Wubbels, who works in the burns unit, calmly explaining that she could not take blood from a patient who had been injured in a fatal car accident, citing a recent change in law.
She told Mr Payne that a patient was required to give consent for a blood sample to determine intoxication or be under arrest.
Otherwise, she said police needed a warrant but Mr Payne insisted.
The dispute ended with him saying «we’re done, you’re under arrest» and physically moving her outside while she screamed.
The department said the frustrated Mr Payne had called his supervisor and that several people went back and forth about the time-sensitive blood sample for over an hour.
«It’s not an excuse. It definitely doesn’t forgive what happened, » Ms Judd said.
The detective left Ms Wubbels in a hot police car for 20 minutes before realising that blood had already been taken as part of treatment, her attorney said. She was not arrested or charged.
«This has upended her world view in a way. She just couldn’t believe this could happen, » Ms Porter said.
The dramatic video became another flashpoint in a national debate about police use of force and how officers treat civilians.
Mr Payne has been suspended from taking blood but remains on duty as a detective in the investigations unit. He is among a group of officers who are certified phlebotomists, called upon regularly when a blood sample is required for a police investigation.
In response to the incident, Ms Judd said the department updated its blood draw policy last week to mirror what the hospital staff uses. She said officers have already received additional training but that they are still sorting out the department’s response since the law changed.
«We want to know where something went wrong, what we didn’t know, and why we didn’t know it, » Ms Judd said.
The agency has met with hospital administration to ensure it does not happen again and to repair their relationship.
«There’s a strong bond between fire, police and nurses because they all work together to help save lives, and this caused an unfortunate rift that we are hoping to repair immediately, » Ms Judd said.
The Salt Lake Tribune reports that the patient was a reserve police officer from Idaho who was doing his other job as a lorry driver when a car fleeing the Utah Highway Patrol crashed into him. The newspaper cites police reports saying Mr Payne was trying to take the blood to clear him of any wrongdoing in the crash.
AP

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A state judge in Pennsylvania threw out involuntary manslaughter charges Friday against eight fraternity members and the Beta Theta Pi fraternity in connection with the death this year of Penn Stat…
(CNN) — A state judge in Pennsylvania threw out involuntary manslaughter charges Friday against eight fraternity members and the Beta Theta Pi fraternity in connection with the death this year of Penn State sophomore Timothy Piazza following an initiation ritual involving alcohol.
All aggravated and simple assault charges and charges stemming from the 2016 rush period also were tossed out by Magisterial District Judge Allen Sinclair of Centre County.
Piazza, 19, died following his first night pledging Beta Theta Pi, a fraternity that was supposed to be alcohol-free as a result of a suspension eight years ago. Surveillance footage played in court shows Piazza falling repeatedly, including down a flight of stairs, following the event involving heavy drinking.
The university, which claims it was not responsible for enforcing the alcohol prohibition, has permanently banned the fraternity from operating on campus.
An attorney for Piazza’s parents said after Friday’s hearing that the remaining charges against 14 fraternity members are serious and could result in jail time, if the defendants are found guilty.
Piazza’s parents cried after Friday’s hearing, attorney Tom Kline said, though not because the most serious charges were tossed.
«They didn’t cry on the dismissal of higher charges, » he said. «They cried tears for their son. … This case is about when is it going to stop in America — the craziness, the permissiveness, the excessiveness, the debauchery, the depravity that goes on in a fraternity house like we saw on a video tape.»
Piazza’s death led to one of the largest criminal indictments against a fraternity and its members in recent history. More than 1,000 counts were levied against 18 Beta Theta Pi members, including eight who were charged with involuntary manslaughter and aggravated assault.
After Friday’s ruling, four fraternity brothers no longer face charges. Ryan McCann, Lucas Rockwell and Braxton Becker had been charged with tampering with evidence. Joseph Ems is no longer facing a charge of reckless endangerment.
Several fraternity members were bound over for trial on charges including hazing, furnishing alcohol, reckless endangerment, and tampering with evidence.
Two fraternity brothers who were charged with evidence-tampering — Ryan Foster and Ed Gilmartin — waived their right to this hearing, so their charges will proceed to trial.
District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller said after the hearing that she was «certainly planning to refile» the involuntary manslaughter charges, calling that decision «a no-brainer.» Her office also may refile other charges that were dropped, she said.
Parks Miller said she believes the grand jury found sufficient probable cause and the judge erred in his decision.
«There were some errors of law we believe, » she said.

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