Missouri police officer fined $18,000 for arresting firefighter on emergency call

KMSB TV ^ | 2/16/08

[Mr. Brightside]

Missouri police officer fined $18,000 for arresting firefighter on emergency call

03:59 PM MST on Friday, February 15, 2008

(KMOV) -- A police officer in Hazelwood will have to pay thousands of dollars for getting into it with a firefighter while he was trying to help an accident victim.

News 4 obtained police video that shows the Hazelwood police officer arresting a fire captain while he's trying to move an injured driver.

It happened on Interstate 270 back in May of 2003.

Officer Todd Greeves wanted a fire truck moved to open up another lane of traffic.

The Robertson Fire Protection District Captain wanted the truck there to protect emergency workers.

Officer Greeves has been ordered to pay $18,000.

His attorney says he's disappointed and that his client's conduct was not malicious in any way.

[The_Republican]

Dumb getting Dumber? That lady who dumped a paralyzed man from his wheel chair, and now this guy concerned about opening traffic lane while and injured driver lies in his truck?

Moron like that should lose his job and not just 18K because in future he is bound to do something dumber.

[bill1952]

He arrested an emergency medical responder because he didn’t do what the officer wanted for traffic patterns??

Fined? This guy needs to be FIRED, period.
We really do not want people this bone hard stupid carrying a gun in public.

[Emmett McCarthy]

I respect firefighters and emergency responders. I don’t respect cops and we keep getting stupider and stupider cops every week.

[Delta 21]

Hey, Barney! You just stand there and direct traffic and dont step into the Fire Chief’s jurisdiction!

[Rennes Templar]

There was another incident I read about recently. A cop arrested a psycholgist for trying to stop a suicide that the police thought they could control better.

Lots of Barney Fife’s out there.

[omega4179]

Just when you thought gumshoes couldnt get any dumber. soon they will be shooting and arresting each other

[BipolarBob]

Low pay and low standards attract a lot of people who should not be there.

[Emmett McCarthy]

Yeah, but Barney only had one bullet and he had to keep that in his pocket!

[freedomwarrior998]

Why, did they get your dope?

[freedomwarrior998]

I see a lot of police bashing on the internet. Do you realize that the media tries to use single examples of bad behavior to paint the entire profession as bad?

Why?

It's always been a Communist goal to discredit and eventually dismantle the police forces of the United States.

http://www.uhuh.com/nwo/communism/comgoals.htm

I find it amazing that so called "conservatives" willingly aid in that goal.

[driftdiver]

http://video.yahoo.com/watch/2018714

this has the cop car video of the incident

[driftdiver]

Watch the video and then decide who the dope is.

[Mark was here]

Why was this a Federal case?

Isn’t there state laws against false imprisonment?

Civil Rights laws are out of control.

Sure nail the cop to the wall, if you want, but use the right hammer.

[driftdiver]

“I find it amazing that so called “conservatives” willingly aid in that goal.”

Perhaps because in many cases the police are abusing the citizens.

[muawiyah]

How do you know the cop in this story is not really a Commie?

You don't.

It's like we don't really know if he's stupid ~ but he sure seems to be.

Now, quick question for you, in an American county, which official has the authority to place the sheriff under arrest if need be?

You have 2 seconds!

[TWohlford]

The Chief can be sued PERSONALLY if one of his people gets hurt on a scene. Many firefighters incorporate their family to guard assets for just such reasons.

So, yeah, the Chief wouldn’t be very responsive to requests to open up more traffic lanes if he/she thought that someone might get hurt.

[freedomwarrior998]

Wait, I know, why don't we start Bashing all EMTs and Firefighters because of this Incident:

EMS Worker Charged When Co-Worker Dies From Defibrillator Zap

LEBANON, Va. -- A former emergency medical worker is accused of fatally zapping a co-worker with a cardiac defibrillator. The two worked for Highlands Ambulance Service in Lebanon, Va. Prosecutors said 24-year-old Joshua Phillip Martin put the device to Courtney Rhoton's side and discharged it. She died three days later. A preliminary autopsy report listed the cause of death as electric shock. The device uses an electric shock to restart the heart. Police said they're investigating whether the death resulted from horseplay, an accident or something else. Police Chief Mark Mitchell, a former paramedic, calls the case "bizarre." Russell County Commonwealth's Attorney Michael Bush declined to discuss Rhoton's death, but said the nature of involuntary manslaughter is "the accidental killing of another through negligence." A Russell County grand jury has indicted Martin on a charge of involuntary manslaughter in the June incident. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison.

Yeah, We did it for Police, So let's do it to the FF's and EMTs too!!!

YYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

http://a.abcnews.com/images/US/rt_redneck3_070709_ssh.jpg

[Grut]

It's always been a Communist goal to discredit and eventually dismantle the police forces of the United States.

Actually, it's always been a Communist goal to get any attempt to improve American government dismissed as a "Communist goal." That way, things only get worse, until the revolution. ;^)

[TWohlford]

“Now, quick question for you, in an American county, which official has the authority to place the sheriff under arrest if need be?”

In most places it’s the county coroner....

[presently no screen name]

Low pay and low standards attract a lot of people who should not be there.

or quotas.

[freedomwarrior998]

Now, quick question for you, in an American county, which official has the authority to place the sheriff under arrest if need be?

Please tell me you are not that ignorant. Please don't tell me you are going to repeat the Urban Legend that only the Coroner can arrest the Sheriff.

Because if you are, you are an idiot.

The Sheriff Can be arrested just like any other person who violates the law.

[muawiyah]

We have a winnuh!!!!! (Holds up hands while the bell clangs repeatedly).

Now, second question, why do you suppose you need to use the Coronor to arrest the sheriff?!

[i_dont_chat]

“I find it amazing that so called “conservatives” willingly aid in that goal.”

That’s how we got to this extreme where there are so many incompetent police. For years, we looked the other way, and gave some of them the benefit of the doubt.

Now, we need to start weeding out the bad apples.

[TWohlford]

“It’s always been a Communist goal to discredit and eventually dismantle the police forces of the United States.”

Oh dear, not THAT old urban legend AGAIN?

[TWohlford]

“why do you suppose you need to use the Coronor to arrest the sheriff?!”

Well, SOMEONE has to have that power!

Usually the coroner is investigating a death scene, implying a serious crime.

[muawiyah]

The legal standard is still in effect ~ some counties, lest you've never noticed, have only one officer of the law, and that's the sheriff.

I suppose if you had a county with no people the state legislature would have passed special enabling legislation so you could have "first responders" from another county providing minimal public services to that non-residential county (should something happen).

Obviously if you have a gazillion other LEOs the sheriff can be arrested by someone else ~ or shot down as is the case.

[SkyDancer]

Bet they won’t show >that< on COPS .....

[exit82]

Is it a US Marshal?

For some reason, I think it’s someone on the Federal level that has authority over a County Sheriff.

[jdub]

where did you get your information re “federal case”? All I saw at the link was a brief article saying he had to pay $18K. I didn’t see where that was an administrative penalty from his employer or what.

[ozzymandus]

So why are there so many examples of bad cops for the media to choose from?

And it’s exceedingly stupid of you to accuse a Freeper of being a drug user for commenting on a bad cop.

I find it amazing that so-called “conservatives” like you applaud bad cops.

[freedomwarrior998]

He was not arrested by the Coroner:

http://www.action3news.com/Global/story.asp?S=7337784

[mkjessup]

Why, did they get your dope?

Obviously not. You're still posting aren't you?

[Rb ver. 2.0]

At least I give the cop credit for wanting to help the traffic situation. In my town two of them will answer a minor accident blocking a lane and spend 20 minutes sitting inside their car writing the report while cars dangerously try to get around the impasse.

[freedomwarrior998]

The freeper wasn't commenting on a bad cop. The Freeper tried to paint all cops with one brush.

The Freeper said that he respected Emergency Responders and Firefighters, but not Police.

Are you supporting that nonsense?

[Rb ver. 2.0]

“It’s always been a Communist goal to discredit and eventually dismantle the police forces of the United States.”

Are you nuts? It’s going to be the paramilitary police forces that usher in the new fascism.

[org.whodat]

Just when you thought gumshoes couldnt get any dumber. soon they will be shooting and arresting each other

Happened in atlanta week before last, undercover cop shot a uniformed cop and the unformed cop returned the favor. Have not heard anymore, it was posted here.

[Mark was here]

where did you get your information re “federal case”?

The video news clip said it went to a Federal Court.

[freedomwarrior998]

So, Where is the Consistency? Are you going to Bash all EMTs on the basis of this guy?

EMS Worker Charged When Co-Worker Dies From Defibrillator

LEBANON, Va. -- A former emergency medical worker is accused of fatally zapping a co-worker with a cardiac defibrillator. The two worked for Highlands Ambulance Service in Lebanon, Va. Prosecutors said 24-year-old Joshua Phillip Martin put the device to Courtney Rhoton's side and discharged it. She died three days later. A preliminary autopsy report listed the cause of death as electric shock. The device uses an electric shock to restart the heart. Police said they're investigating whether the death resulted from horseplay, an accident or something else. Police Chief Mark Mitchell, a former paramedic, calls the case "bizarre." Russell County Commonwealth's Attorney Michael Bush declined to discuss Rhoton's death, but said the nature of involuntary manslaughter is "the accidental killing of another through negligence." A Russell County grand jury has indicted Martin on a charge of involuntary manslaughter in the June incident. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison.

[freedomwarrior998]

BTW: No one applauded the actions of the Police Officer in this case.

I interjected that the typical Cop Bashers need to rethink their logic.

Far too many fit this mold.

[Mark was here]

Now, quick question for you, in an American county, which official has the authority to place the sheriff under arrest if need be?

The Coroner because he is elected.

[mkjessup]

You really didn’t have to post that family picture twice.

[driftdiver]

“Oh dear, not THAT old urban legend AGAIN?”

Oh I dunno, they’ve done it in every communist state that has ever existed. /sarc

[John123]

Do police officers have jurisdiction in the freeways?

[driftdiver]

“where did you get your information re “federal case”? All I saw at the link was a brief article saying he had to pay $18K. I didn’t see where that was an administrative penalty from his employer or what.”

Civil rights lawsuit, the cops supervisor made him take the cuffs off and no charges were ever filed.

[muawiyah]

Notice that state level officials are involved in this. That's because we are not dealing with the early colonial period where there were no people around, and the state supplanted common law standards with statutes.

Still, isn't it interesting that the sheriff assigned himself to administrative duties.

Hmmmm ~ sounds pretty medieval to me!

[BurbankKarl]

Wilson’s suit, filed in 2006, seeks unspecified punitive and compensatory damages on claims of false arrest, battery and violation of his civil rights. He also seeks attorneys’ fees and costs.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Mary Ann Medler has already ruled that Greeves did not have probable cause to arrest Wilson, and that under state law, “Captain Wilson and his crew were entitled to park their fire engine irrespective of the traffic laws and/or city ordinances.”

But her ruling also says that “reasonable minds could differ as to whether” Greeves should have known that he was violating Wilson’s rights.

[chiefqc]

Examples of the results of morons with a little authority and no common sense.

[KJC1]

For what it’s worth, you aren’t the only one tired of stories about individual bad cops being used to paint all cops as stupid or worse.

There are bad seeds in every profession, meaning every profession the bashers themselves are in. I guess that means they’re all bad seeds too. Everybody is a bad seed by association, how fun! LOL.

[driftdiver]

“Do police officers have jurisdiction in the freeways?”

Depends, the judge has ruled the fire dept can determine what space they need to make an accident scene safe.

Pretty stupid to pull a guy away from the accident victim because he wasn’t moving the firetruck.