Tragic Pullover with Asthmatic (Question to Leos)

[forJAT]

Now first off I want to say prayers sent out to the family of Casey Kressin. This story touched base really hard as I am an asthmatic and have had to be hospitalized 5 times and 2 of those times I had stopped breathing once at my house and once en route on the ambulance . I am also blessed with living very close to a hospital and an area where EMT is responds somehow in less than 5 minutes.

I don't know the whole story here and I know the media makes things to be worse than they really are.

Here is a link to the story:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nati...icle-1.2031939


My wife woke me up upset saying this could have been you. I calmed my wife down. I also told her if that were to ever happen to me to throw the emergency flashers on and call 911 while she was taking me to the hospital. And I told her not to stop for a police officer.

Here is a link to the dash cam video {graphic (man having ashtma attack} https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCW4wmlXMAE

3 miles from the ER "may" have been able to save this guy if he he had got to the hospital in that time waiting. I have only watched the video 1 time but I thought I heard them say he was not breathing when they were loading him into the ambulance.

My question is did I advise my wife correctly? I personally find it ludicrous that the officer determined that the fiance was not fit to drive him to the hospital but was okay to meet the ambulance at the hospital after it left. I know that the Leo that pulled them over is going through a trying time. Prayers out to him as well. What happened to the days of police escorts to the hospital?

When my brother passed away approx 10 years ago. I made it from Austin to Houston in less than 2 hours driving. On the last leg had a Leo pull up next to me and talk to me at a red-light and he let me continue on. And decades ago when my grandfather had a heart attack my dad drove from Houston to Abilene and was given escorts partially along the trip.

The man should have not been left out in the cold for that long as the cold air restricts breathing making the asthma attack worse.7 This is just a tragic story all the way around.

[WCB]

**** tragic

Don't know if officers can give escort any more. Probably to many lawsuits for that to happen...

[Pkripper]

**** tragic



Don't know if officers can give escort any more. Probably to many lawsuits for that to happen...

^^^^^^^
This

[Buckshot-73]

Bad thing's tend to happen when people refuse to pull over for LEO... He does not know why you won't stop.

I understand the need to get emergent care, but you must put yourself in their shoes also. At the very least, call 911 and tell the medics to meet you somewhere on the way.

[forJAT]

Bad thing's tend to happen when people refuse to pull over for LEO... He does not know why you won't stop.

I understand the need to get emergent care, but you must put yourself in their shoes also. At the very least, call 911 and tell the medics to meet you somewhere on the way.

Agreed, that is why I instructed my wife to call 911 while she was driving about the incident. I can see both sides here. Once the Leo pulled them over and they stopped I tell myself he was then bound by standard operating procedures that would probably restrict transport to the hospital.

[Boomerang]

Once he pulled them over, he needed to make sure they were not drinking as heard in the video. Then just wait for EMS to arrive as it was too dangerous for the original driver to be on the snow covered streets.

[APDBrad]

Bad thing's tend to happen when people refuse to pull over for LEO... He does not know why you won't stop.

I understand the need to get emergent care, but you must put yourself in their shoes also. At the very least, call 911 and tell the medics to meet you somewhere on the way.

This!!! ^^^^^^ I have been in this situation as a LEO with a pregnant woman in labor. The husband would not stop for me. He finally stopped for me after a few miles. There were a lot of cops coming "hot" for me. It could of been very bad. He jumped out of the car once stopped, again NOT GOOD!! Luckily his wife who is in labor mind you was the calm one. EMS was called and all worked out. The husband was in full panic mode and was driving like an idiot putting them and everyone else in danger. Please if it is a true emergency PULL OVER AND CALL 911. That way emergency personal know what's going on and the situation will go a whole lot better. Tragic situation for all involved

[Daniel75]

I sympathize with the family, they are emotional and that's governing their responses. I can't imagine their grief. I feel for the officer as well but it sounds like he did what any one of us would have done.

I don't like to question the actions of a deceased man but it says in the article that he had a history of bad asthma attacks. If so, why would you travel without an inhaler or why would you let your prescription run out if your life depended on it? Doesn't that merit some sort of responsibility?

As far as police escorts, those days are long gone, too much liability and society is too litigious these days.

[flyby]

Our General Orders specifically prohibit "escort". It's a liability thing.

This is really a hard situation on both sides.

[kae006]

I have a quick story to go with the instructions you provided your wife should you find yourself in a similar situation.

I had a buddy who's father had a heart attack, they opted to drive him to the nearest hospital instead of wait for EMS but contacted 911 and agreed to meet at a gas station halfway to the hospital. They got him loaded up at the gas station and he flatlined three times in the ambulance on the remainder of the trip. Had they not met EMS he wouldn't be here today.

[adam_p]

This!!! ^^^^^^ I have been in this situation as a LEO with a pregnant woman in labor. The husband would not stop for me. He finally stopped for me after a few miles. There were a lot of cops coming "hot" for me. It could of been very bad. He jumped out of the car once stopped, again NOT GOOD!! Luckily his wife who is in labor mind you was the calm one. EMS was called and all worked out. The husband was in full panic mode and was driving like an idiot putting them and everyone else in danger. Please if it is a true emergency PULL OVER AND CALL 911. That way emergency personal know what's going on and the situation will go a whole lot better. Tragic situation for all involved

Sorry but I'm not doing this if ever in the situation. I'll dial 911 and tell them whats up but I'm not stopping and waiting for 20 minutes for an ambulance to get there if it is life or death. I'll go to jail to save a family member.

[catslayer]

As a severe asthmatic myself I see both sides... I feel terrible for the family, but I really don't understand how you allow yourself to get in that position as someone who lives with the condition... You are trained by your body and your doctors on how to handle an attack. You know what it feels like, and I'll promise you if you get your heart rate down and turn off the "I CAN"T BREATH!" panic then you can make is when your WAY WAY constricted. If I have a BAD one you'll be surprised at how calm I am. I try to zen out... Sit as still as I can, don't talk. DEFINATLY DON"T JUMP OUT OF THE TRUCK AND HEAD FOR THE COP... that's dumb any way and a good way to get shot if your moving to fast.

I've pushed the limits of mine HARD. Cold weather sucks, it defiantly is a trigger if you try to do anything when there is a cold snap. But I just don't understand how you can ignore your body to get where he is getting.

[tvc184]

Sorry but I'm not doing this if ever in the situation. I'll dial 911 and tell them whats up but I'm not stopping and waiting for 20 minutes for an ambulance to get there if it is life or death. I'll go to jail to save a family member.

It is not a matter of merely going to jail. If it was only that simple.

The officer does not know why you are driving like that and calling 911 doesn't solve it. I stopped a guy for blowing through lights and his claim was a friend not breathing. At least it was up until the time I reminded him that one of the red lights that he went through was for the parking lot of the largest hospital in our city. Before I wrote the citation I offered to let him go back three blocks to the hospital that he had just passed and if his friend checked himself into the ER, I would let the driver go. All of a sudden the friend could breath and the driver got a citation. I guess a citation didn't sounds a bad as a $2,000 hospital bill.

Failing to stop will likely cause the incident to go into a full blown chase with multiple police units and maybe your vehicle being spiked or run off the road in a PIT maneuver. Then you may go to jail for that felony, your vehicle might be wrecked and your family member will now likely be delayed even longer.

It is a terrible deal all the way around and in the case in the OP I might have simply let them go but I don't blame the officer. I surely would not have escorted them.

[Thumper]

To protect and serve, not follow protocol or union rules but to protect and serve. The driver stopped because she thought there was help for her husband. If it had been a police officer that couldn't breath you can bet the farm the patrol car would have got him to the hospital.

Hindsight is always 20/20, this incident should have ended after a three mile police chase.

[SB09]

I'm not stopping personally. Do whatever you think is necessary when we get to the hospital. I will not stop for your red and blue lights when someone's life is in jeopardy. Just for the fact I ran a red light and was speeding on a street that had basically zero other cars on it. The officer is there to keep everyone safe, but his equipment and knowledge of what it takes to properly care for someone that is sick is limited. I don't give a single care that the officer is suspicious I am drinking or whatever it may be. We can handle that business at the hospital after the person gets taken in for help. I know the 911 operator has a way to get in touch with you and explain the situation. If you continue to pursue at that point and call in 100 different cars, I'm still going to the hospital.