Oklahoma State Police refuse to release the dashcam video that would prove whether or not a paramedic slammed the “door in a hostile manner” after being pulled over, leaving the officer no choice but to strangle him.
Witnesses believe Officer Daniel Martin was showing off for his wife – who happened to be in the passenger seat of his squad car – when he pulled the ambulance over for failing to yield last month.
Earlier reports had Martin claiming he was “assaulted” by the paramedic, which is why he had to place him in a chokehold.
But recent reports suggest the paramedic simply slammed the car door hard, forcing the officer to protect himself at all measures.
Much of the incident was recorded on a video camera by a family member of the patient the ambulance was transporting, including the part where Martin places one of the paramedics in a chokehold.
While that video doesn’t show what happened immediately after the paramedics pulled over, the officer’s dashcam should. However, police have refused to release it on the basis that they are “investigating” the incident.
Although prosecutors have refused to file charges in the incident, Martin has been placed on administrative leave. Paid, of course.
Martin claims the paramedics not only failed to yield for him but they also flipped him off. He also claims he was en route to an emergency at the time but it appears he was only picking up his wife.
The paramedics who were transporting a patient to the hospital, claim that Martin told them he was considering using deadly force against them.
It should be noted that in a separate incident, police in Texas have already released the dashcam video of an officer using his Taser gun on a 72-year-old woman – even though that incident occurred after the Oklahoma incident.
