Cop Arrests Nurse For Not Drawing Blood
The Salt Lake City Police Department fired the officer after a video of him arresting a nurse at the University of Utah Hospital for refusing to take a blood sample from an unconscious patient went viral. However, the officer is now suing the department and the city, claiming that he was simply carrying out his supervisor’s instructions when he made the arrest, according to Paighten Harkins of the Salt Lake Tribune.
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What Really Happened At The Utah Hospital?
The nurse who was roughly arrested at a hospital in Salt Lake City has reached a settlement of $500,000 with the city and the university that owns the hospital.
In the incident captured on police body cameras in July, an officer roughly arrested Alex Wubbels after she objected to his request to take a blood sample from an unconscious patient.
She can be seen calmly reading the officer the hospital’s policy that prohibits blood draws without a warrant or the patient’s consent unless the patient is in custody at the beginning of the video. She explains, “This is something you people agreed to with this facility.
Wubbels cries out that she did nothing wrong as the cop lunges at her, drags her outside, and puts handcuffs on her.
When the nurse and her attorney revealed the video, it was met with tremendous indignation. It was brought up in a larger discussion concerning the use of force by police.
“We all deserve to know the truth, and the truth comes when you see the actual raw footage, and that’s what happened in my case,” Wubbels told reporters on Tuesday. “No matter how truthful I was in telling my story, it was nothing compared to what people saw, and the visceral reaction people experienced when watching the footage of the experience that I went through.”
What Did Wubbels Say?
According to The Salt Lake Tribune, Wubbels plans to use some of the funds to assist people in gaining access to police body camera recordings of instances in which they were involved. For anyone who wants access to the film, her law company will offer free legal assistance. The Salt Lake actually Police Department fired the arresting officer, Detective Jeff Payne, last month and reduced Lt. James Tracey’s watch commander’s position to that of the officer. According to The Tribune, both men have challenged their sentences, and Wubbels’ arrest is still under criminal investigation. Even though she claims she has no control over it, Wubbels told the AP that she would be upset if the disciplinary actions were overturned.
“The police have to police themselves,” she said. “This is something I never would have expected to happen, but I’m also honored by the weight of it.”
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