Monday, November 16, 2009

** Denver paramedic sentenced to long jail term for beating up seizure patient

** Oklahoma state trooper who attacked paramedic earlier this year exonerated in yet another alleged assault

UNITED STATES NEWS

** A former Denver, Colorado paramedic will be cooling his heels in jail for the next decade plus, after he was sentenced Friday for beating up a patient in his care. KDVR (November 13) said Allan Miller, 31, will spend 12 years behind bars for second degree assault and false reporting. According to the news station, Miller repeatedly struck seizure patient Tim Smith after the latter became combative during a January call. Landing blows in the stomach and face, Miller’s patient was described as bleeding heavily from both the nose and mouth upon arrival at hospital. Among the injuries Smith suffered during the assault was a skull fracture.

** An Oklahoma state trooper, accused earlier this year of putting a paramedic in a choke-hold, has been cleared yet again of allegations that he used excessive force during the course of his work. That is the word from The Oklahoman (Ann Kelly/November 13) which said an investigation by the Department of Public Safety cleared Daniel Martin and his partner Tommy Allen of wrongdoing during the October arrest of Holdenville resident Kristopher Douglas, 28. According to the newspaper, dash cam video released by the police shows Martin using his batton on a handcuffed Douglas. Both troopers now return to regular duty after being placed on administrative leave pending the investigation’s outcome. Martin also escaped serious punishment in the July attack on paramedic Maurice White. In that instance, Martin netted only a five day suspension;the attack was caught on cell phone and posted on the Internet.