Police Officer Shoots Fire Chief

[EMSLaw]

I lived in Arkansas for two years, and it was the most back-woods place you could ever dream up. They're the only state in the country that doesn't even have a trauma system. It's a sad, sad place.

It's almost enough to make me feel better about Jersey!

So, emmm... what do they do if there's a serious trauma? Call in a bird and transport out of state? Or do they even have that option?

 

[Akulahawk]

I was assuming, which is always a mistake, that the fire chief was unarmed. I mean, it's a courtroom, right? Generally, you aren't allowed to go into one packing.

I do civil rights law for a living. It's very hard to explain why your police officers had a justifiable need to shoot an unarmed man in what is probably a fairly well-lit, public location filled with innocent bystanders. Besides, if he had been armed, the headline would have been something like, "Rogue Fire Chief Shot While Assaulting Judge."

I agree in principle, though, that without knowing what happened, it's hard to figure out liability. That's separate and apart from the basic fact that somebody *is* getting sued. Whether the suit would be successful is another matter.

Most firefighters are unarmed... however, that does not mean that that they can't be... Arson investigators are generally considered Law Enforcement and can be armed. In California, they can go through Basic POST or through a Special Investigator Basic Course. Fire Chiefs, if they go through the appropriate training, can also be considered LEO as well, especially they're required to enforce certain laws as well, outside of Arson.

Also, don't assume that an unarmed person is incapable of posing a lethal/great bodily injury threat to another person... However, it certainly "looks" bad when you shoot someone who is unarmed.

 

[Shishkabob]

Agreed with Akula



And as I said before:

I'd like to think most cops won't shoot someone who's fighting a ticket in court. There is MUCH more to the story than any of us know.

 

[EMS49393]

It's almost enough to make me feel better about Jersey!

So, emmm... what do they do if there's a serious trauma? Call in a bird and transport out of state? Or do they even have that option?

There are a couple hospitals in Little Rock that have some trauma services. The major problem in Little Rock is the rotating neuro closures. It's hard to find an ER that has neuro head and spine services, and since a good number of major traumas often involve one or both, you're pretty much hosed.

They can and do fly out of state. In the northern part of the state they fly to St. John's in Springfield, MO. In the northeastern part they fly to Memphis, TN. In the West, they go to Oklahoma. If you're in the central or south part of the state, you're screwed.

They just passed a 56 cent tax on cigarettes last year to fund their trauma system. So far it's slow getting out of the gate. Not only that, but only 30 cents or so is actually staying in Arkansas. The state has agreed to pay St. John's and Memphis a cut of money because of all the business they handle for Arkansas.

There are much worse places in the world then Jersey.

 

[Shishkabob]

They said in the article that he was at The Med, which is in Memphis, Tennessee. (I saw it on Trauma once )