** New York woman claims cops arrested, assaulted her for filming slow EMS response to Eric Garner case
** Colombia police arrest doctor, EMT and other health care workers for transporting cocaine in ambulance
UNITED STATES NEWS
** A New York woman is suing the city alleging police officers arrested and assaulted her after she filmed the slow EMS response in the Eric Garner case. The Gothamist (Emma Whitford/July 14) said Taisha Allen, 37, who was Garner’s friend, claims her poor treatment at the hands of the NYPD was in retaliation for the incident going public. Garner died last summer after a police officer placed him in a chokehold after stopping him for a minor infraction. Garner collapsed to the sidewalk and was not immediately aided by EMTs, paramedics, or police. Allen says she, herself, was arrested in February in Staten Island after police recognized her as one of the people who posted the Eric Garner video. They then apparently called her an expletive and roughly took her into custody for disorderly conduct and obstruction. Her lawyer said she pleaded guilty to the tags under coercion and after 2 1/2 days of being in custody. She also suffered sufficient injuries in the fracas to require hospital treatment. Allen’s suit comes at a time when Garner’s family has agreed to settle a wrongful death lawsuit with the city for $5.9 million.
COLOMBIA NEWS
** A surgeon running for mayor in a small town in the municipality of Puerto Caicedo has been arrested with several other medical professionals for allegedly using an ambulance to transport 200 kilos of cocaine. That is the word from the AFP (July 14) which said the jig was up for the doctor when officials in another region searched the EMS unit and found the drugs under a false roof. According to the newspaper, police believe the ambulance was journeying from the south to the northern port city of Cartagena to deliver the drugs for overseas trade. The doctor was identified as Edgardo Figueroa. A nurse, EMT, driver, and a pseudo patient were also involved in the ruse. A spokesman for the police said suspicions were raised when the authorities noted that so-called ambulance transfers were taking the EMS rig on successive journeys from south to north, traversing the country’s entire length.
