Wednesday, March 31, 2010

** On duty personnel linked to New Brunswick St. Patrick’s Day stretcher prank

** Questions swirling over fatal shooting of California ambulance thief

CANADA NEWS

** More news is beginning to filter out concerning a St. Patrick’s Day stretcher prank in Dieppe, New Brunswick. The Times Transcript (Aloma Jardine/March 30) said contrary to initial reports that only off duty EMS personnel were involved in the incident, new information confirms that an on-duty crew was at the party site where the hijinks took place. According to the newspaper, a stretcher was ridden downhill through traffic on Ste-Croix Street, forcing vehicles to pull over to avoid the questionable vehicle. Although admitting an active ambulance had stopped by at the home of the paramedic hosting the get together, Ambulance New Brunswick CEO Alan Stephen said the matter has been dealt with internally. He also said he would not be commenting further on the matter.

UNITED STATES NEWS

** Public displeasure is starting to stir over the Sunday shooting death of a Placerville, California ambulance thief. That is the word from CBS13 (Koula Gianulias/March 29) which said the 10 a.m. incident has several witnesses questioning whether deadly force was necessary. According to the news site, a female patient clad in a hospital gown made off with the EMS unit from Marshall Hospital;she then rammed police cars attempting to stop her course. Eyewitness Dan Righello, who said he heard no loud speaker warnings to the woman, indicated the gunfire erupted shortly after the vehicles made contact. Fellow witness Flip Darnell confirmed the account. Describing the woman as terrified, Righello said she also seemed confused prior to being shot. Police spokesman Chief George Nielsen, however, declined to lend credence to the men’s comments, saying the patient had threatened officers who feared for their lives.