UTAH COP ARRESTS NURSE FOR PROTECTING PATIENT
Jeff Payne Arrests Nurse Alex Wubbels
AP -- Via TIME -- SALT LAKE CITY, Utah -- A Utah police officer's body camera video shows a hospital nurse being handcuffed after refusing to draw blood on an unconscious patient.
The video taken at University Hospital in Salt Lake City shows nurse Alex Wubbels calmly explaining to Salt Lake detective Jeff Payne that she couldn't draw blood on a patient who had been injured in a car accident.
She told the officer a patient was required to give consent for a blood sample or be under arrest. Otherwise, she said police needed a warrant.
The dispute ended with Payne telling the nurse she was under arrest and physically moving her out of the hospital while she screamed.
The Salt Lake Tribune reports Wubbels was not charged.
On Friday, Salt Lake City police apologized over the incident. Police spokeswoman Christina Judd said the agency initiated an internal investigation within hours of the July 26 encounter.
Payne has been suspended from blood-draw duties but remains in his role as a detective in the investigations unit.
Judd says the assistant chief has apologized to the hospital and that the department is alarmed by what they saw in the video.
Judd said the department is working to investigate what went wrong and is seeking to repair the "unfortunate rift" it has caused.
Note: This cop should be fired. Wubbels should be given a award for protecting patient rights. This is just disgusting!
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