Utah nurse gets arrested for refusing to draw blood without a warrant

[LAGC]

A Utah nurse screamed “help me” after a cop handcuffed and dragged her outside the hospital for refusing to draw blood on an unconscious patient July 26, police body camera footage showed.

After the University of Utah Hospital nurse, Alex Wubbels, and her attorneys released dramatic video of the arrest, prosecutors called for a criminal investigation and Salt Lake City police put Detective Jeff Payne on paid administrative leave Friday.

The video showed Wubbels, an Alpine skier who participated in the 1998 and 2002 Winter Olympic games, calmly explaining to Payne that she could not draw blood from a patient who had been injured in a car accident, according to The Salt Lake Tribune.

Wubbels told Payne the patient was required to give consent for a blood sample or be under arrest. Otherwise, she said police needed a warrant, citing a 2016 U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

Payne threatened to imprison Wubbels if he was not given the blood sample, according to the video.

“I either go away with blood in vials or body in tow,” Payne is shown saying.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/09/02...s-patient.html

Just another day, another cop defecating all over the Fourth Amendment...

[LAGC]

[imanaknut]

As much as I have respect for uniformed civilians, that thin blue line crap is going to have to stop, and fellow officers are going to have to stop these mentally disturbed uniformed civilians from giving the greater majority who are good cops a really bad name. When it comes to all the videos of late showing that one bad apple cop going off, sorry to say that unless they are dealt with severely, they are going to spoil the whole bunch.

Going to add that every uniformed civilian in that video assault on that nurse who was the only one following the rules, should be also held accountable and that suspended with pay has also got to stop. Everyone in that video who didn't tell officer Gestapo to stand down also deserves time off without pay.

[Richard Simmons]

Cop was totally out of line and should be charged if possible for false arrest of something. At the very least he should be fired and then the nurse should sue him in civil court. That being said I don't see his behavior as justification to shoot him or any other LEO.

[jet3534]

The detective in question committed a blatant assault under color of law. The evidence is pretty clear. The cop should be immediately fired and arrested -- then convicted and put in jail. This administrative leave BS is an attempt to protect Detective Payne while the heat dies down. The only problem is the heat is not going to die down. People are outraged and rightly so.

[5.56NATO]

I side with cops until the evidence shows misconduct. Like when a cop uses an illegal choike hold that results in death, or a cop shoots a cuffed perp who is laying face down between the cops feet, or a cop shoots a cuffed and non resisting suspect and says they don't have time for this. When it's blatant they should be charged, and their pensions should go to their victims. This just might make the bad cops think twice.

[NAPOTS]

Given the current environment I think it is in the best interest of the good cops (who i believe represent the vast majority of police) to realize the position they are in in the public eye and public trust and have no tolerance for their own who do not live up to the standard expected of them.

[JTHunter]

Well said Napots.
I would love to see some local lawyer offer Nurse Wubbels "pro bono" service, not for her monetary gain but to see that Payne is stripped of his law enforcement certification. This will prevent this "loose cannon" from doing something like this "under color of law" and getting away with it. He would be forever barred from working as a LEO if he loses that certification - and he should be!

[jet3534]

The nurse was lucky as police interactions can go south very quickly.
Anyone remember this poor SOB who literally took it up the ass after a Cop thought he clenched his buttocks during a traffic stop.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/16/justic...ent/index.html

[imanaknut]

Haven't looked for a written article but I think I heard the talking heads on TV said that hospital ER will no longer work with police.

Looking for article. Update - The hospital fired the detective who went stupid. Evidently he was moonlighting at the hospital as a hospital police. The talking head must have been talking about the specific officer (detective) involved.

[LAGC]

Utah nurse reaches $500,000 settlement in dispute over her arrest for blocking cop from drawing blood from patient

University Hospital nurse Alex Wubbels has agreed to a $500,000 payment to settle a dispute over her arrest by a Salt Lake City police officer after she barred him from drawing blood from an unconscious patient, her attorney said Tuesday.

Attorney Karra Porter said at a news conference that the agreement with Salt Lake City and the University of Utah covers all parties and takes the possibility of legal action off the table. “There will be no lawsuit,” she said.

The arrest drew widespread condemnation after Porter released police body camera and hospital security footage of the encounter on Aug. 31.

Wubbels will use a portion of the money to help people get body camera footage, at no cost, of incidents involving themselves, she said at the news conference. In addition, Porter’s law firm, Christensen & Jensen, will provide for free any legal services necessary to obtain the video.

http://www.sltrib.com/news/2017/10/3...00-settlement/

You go, girl!

[rci2950]

Utah nurse reaches $500,000 settlement in dispute over her arrest for blocking cop from drawing blood from patient



http://www.sltrib.com/news/2017/10/3...00-settlement/

You go, girl!

Awesome. I was hoping she would get at least a million but this will cap off her retirement nicely. I hope the police station had to sell equipment to pay it.

[Helen Keller]

actually taxpayers will be footin the bill.

[rktman]

actually taxpayers will be footin the bill.

Yeah, that's where this story goes bad. The State taxpayers should not pay for those 2 idiot cops when no substantial physical damage was done. Not everyday will be fair, that's just life.
She could write a book or do some speaking gigs to get compensation for being put in that situation.