Ambulance Pullover Defended
By The Associated Press
June 16, 2009
Oklahoma City — An Oklahoma state trooper who pulled over an ambulance with a patient inside and then scuffled with a paramedic had every right to make the stop because the vehicle did not have its emergency lights and sirens on, an attorney said Monday.
Trooper Daniel Martin, center, argues with a paramedic after he stopped the ambulance.Gary James, an attorney for Trooper Daniel Martin, also said that the trooper is not the “ogre” he has been made out to be.
Interest in the May 24 incident has soared since authorities released video over the weekend that was taken by the dashboard camera in Martin’s patrol car. The video shows paramedic Maurice White Jr. repeatedly telling Martin he has a patient in the back and wants to go to the hospital.
James said Martin had a legal right to pull over the ambulance for failing to yield the right of way when the patrol unit tried to pass it moments earlier. He also said White escalated the situation by challenging the trooper.
Another trooper arrived, and the ambulance was eventually allowed to continue to a hospital, where the patient was treated and later released.
The local district attorney declined to file charges against either Martin or White. Martin has been placed on paid leave during the Oklahoma Highway Patrol’s internal investigation.
Associated Press. “Ambulance Pullover Defended.” The Denver Post. 16 Jun. 2009. <http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_12597418 >
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