A man having a medical emergency while driving ended up veering off a highway and landing in a ditch, slumping over on the passenger seat and alarming witnesses who rushed to help, then called 911, figuring he would receive the proper care.
Not a chance.
Instead, Oklahoma Highway Patrol officers arrived on the scene within five minutes and began yelling at him to “put your car in park,” according to a video recorded by a witness.
When the man did not immediately comply, the cops busted out both the driver side window and the passenger side window.
“PUT YOUR CAR IN PARK!” the cop kept yelling, striking the man with the baton.
The man mumbled that his car was parked, but the cop told him it was not in park – striking him again with the baton for good measure.
They then opened his car door and dragged him out – hitting him again with their baton – before laying him flat on his face on the asphalt and handcuffing him.
Then, once the man was in handcuffs, the officers felt safe and secure and were able to determine what the witness had determined from the beginning.
That the man was suffering from a medical episode.
It was only then that the cops called for an ambulance, which is when the man received the medical attention he needed.
Oklahoma Highway Patrol officers defended the actions of the officers, saying just because a man is having a medical episode is no excuse for him not to comply with the orders of police, justifying it with the phrase “officer safety.”
They also say he was “passively resisting,” which merited a beatdown.
According to Fox 25:
“Officer safety is paramount in a situation like that,” Capt. Paul Timmons said. “It’s three o’clock in the morning and you’re dealing with a bunch of unknowns.”
In the video, you can see troopers demand the guy to put his car in park. The man seems to be in a dazed state and doesn’t comply. Soon after, one trooper smashes the driver’s side window and tells the other trooper to smash the passenger side. You can also see the trooper strike the driver at least twice with his night stick while trying to get him to obey instructions.
After about thirty seconds, the troopers yanked the driver out, threw him on the ground and put him in handcuffs. Soon after, Timmons said, they realized he wasn’t intoxicated and was having a medical episode.
“You have to take control of the situation and make sure it’s done in a safe way for everyone involved. That includes the troopers, the driver and anybody on scene,” he said.
According to Timmons, the man initially exhibited all the signs of someone being impaired. He acknowledges that to the blind eye, it may look aggressive, but when considering the situation, the troopers did everything by the book.
However, it was the officers who appeared to have the blind eyes, failing to distinguish between a medical emergency and a case of drunk driving.
Even the witness, who was working construction on the side of the road, told the media that he did not appear intoxicated.
But cops are not trained to help. They are only trained to hurt. That is the only language they speak. The language of physical violence. Especially when their orders are not followed within seconds.
Even if you’re having a heart attack or a diabetic episode, if you don’t comply, you may die. And it will be justified.
The incident took place on August 18 and police pointed out that they did not charge the man, only abused and detained him in order to get him the necessary help.
Check out the video on Fox 25.
