ajohnb, Jenks (6/10/2009 6:18:30 PM)

Again, who was the woman in Martin's cruiser when this happened?

Oh yeah, put him on leave and still pay him. Wow! wonder how many jobs in the private sector do this?

The OHP will not release the video. WHY? They must be hiding something or the guy that edits video's is on vacation.

jester507, (6/10/2009 6:37:01 PM)

Quit dwelling, who cares who the woman was...put your anger behind all the times you've been violated by the thin blue line and move on with your life. Bitter, bitter bitter. Sure the trooper screwed up, but why don't you wait for the final outcome before you continue to foam at the mouth.

kids1st, (6/10/2009 6:41:41 PM)

Thank God! It's about time.

Missy,,M, no thanks (6/10/2009 6:46:36 PM)

Take the vacation Trooper Martin.Ya know isnt it regulation that you use the lights in an emergancy?

oldrustytulsa, Tulsa (6/10/2009 6:59:17 PM)

Ha,Ha, I bet that dash cam, tells a clear story, the OHP will protect their own.

burgerman, Tulsa (6/10/2009 7:03:06 PM)

he should be fired.........

tintulsa, Okmulgee (6/10/2009 7:04:06 PM)

Welcome to a another episode of "Unreal Stories of the Highway Patrol. Did Captain West get his job recomendation from Mayor West on Family Guy?

Seriously (Jester), we don't need to let this go. If and isolated instance, I'd agree, but look back in the last couple of months.

>The OHP/Paramedic issue with ever changing info, and lack of dash cam or explaination of the woman.

>The OHP trooper kicking the handcuffed woman on the ground.

>OHP editing the dash cam video before releasing it (oh yeah, it was OK to release that one) and got busted by the Tulsa World.

Let your anger go, power to ya. Me, I'm going to vote AGAINST anyone in State Government who didn't speak up about this series of events, whether they were directly involved with OHP management or not. Hope the next Governor overhauls the OHP from the silent Cheif of Patrol to the Division Captains who act like West.

Aces, (6/10/2009 7:15:45 PM)

As usual, the taxpayer gets to pay for these paid vacations. We have been paying for another out-of-control OHP trooper, Barry Jacob E. Rowland, since he was put on administrative leave/paid vacation in November 2008. The OHP needs to get rid of these bad apples.

Bullhead, Nicut (6/10/2009 7:19:45 PM)

I wonder if they'll ever release the dash cam tape. This may be the last we hear of this incident as far as OHP goes.

Graychin, Eucha (6/10/2009 7:25:41 PM)

While the trooper is on administrative leave, he should use the time to look for another job.

Green Eyed Lady, Bartlesville (6/10/2009 7:36:07 PM)

This is typical behavior here in Oklahoma by our law enforcement officers; they should all be required to attend the Dale Carnegie class and learn how to deal with people. This incident was a disgrace, and he should lose his job.

skippy1, (6/10/2009 7:38:43 PM)

I don't care if this trooper draws a salary while on "administrative" leave as long as he is off the streets. But we all know about the 'thin blue line'.

kids1st, (6/10/2009 8:28:44 PM)

Is this perhaps a move by the OHP to make it look like they are doing something about the trooper's actions? I hope this is not the end of the trooper's punishment.

I AGREE with many of the other comments made: He should use the time to look for another job; This incident is a disgrace; atleast 'He is off the streets'; The taxpayers get to pay for these paid vacations; Lack of the dashcam video or explanation of the woman; I bet that dash cam, tells a clear story; and last but NOT least, He should be fired!

SoonerChris, Tulsa (6/10/2009 8:33:11 PM)

Lets see any other job and they are fired - Paid Leave give me a break - lets see the dash cam video please!!!!!

SoonerChris, Tulsa (6/10/2009 8:37:10 PM)

News Flash - We are more than happy to release any video that does not show our officers in a negative light - if it does, well, we will choose not to turn it over. We hope you understand - ONE QUESTION: WHO PAYS THEIR SALARY?

Aces, (6/10/2009 9:37:37 PM)

These troopers are giving "Serve and Protect" a whole new meaning. They "Serve" themselves and "Protect" each other. It sounds like the OHP should be investigated.

Carlos, Tulsa (6/10/2009 10:57:09 PM)

"However, West was unable to explain why it took the patrol a week to put Martin on administrative leave. He continued working for a week after the confrontation, along U.S. 62 in Paden, seven miles east of Prague.

West said he didn’t know how long Martin would be on leave.

But he did say that a Tulsa World request under the state’s Open Records Act for the video from the trooper’s dashboard camera is being denied. West did not elaborate on the reason for the denial."

Take note everyone! This is how the OHP deals with problems. Paid vacation for the cop in an effort to appease the public and a refusal to present dashcam video that would likely seal the cop's fate. Also, the DA and OHP captain have still failed to address the woman in the front seat of the trooper's car. Is that who he was showing off for? He must be married....and not to her.

kids1st, (6/11/2009 1:45:57 AM)

"Paid vacation for the cop in an effort to appease the public." Well said Carlos!

LesGuvment, Sand Springs (6/11/2009 6:48:06 AM)

Get a rope or release the video. The world is watching and waiting.

ajohnb, Jenks (6/11/2009 6:54:40 AM)

Maybe the state video editor is on vacation and they need to wait till he gets back to "edit" the video.

If the trooper has done nothing wrong then why is he off work and we are still paying him?

If he has done something wrong, then why are we paying him to sit at home.

Why won't the OHP release the video?

Why are the not saying anything about the woman that was in the trooper's car? That whole thing seems to be been dropped.

Enquiring minds want to know.

chase, rogers county (6/11/2009 7:04:26 AM)

How long does it take to release the video?like the next day,not weeks.and who is the women in the car,the patrol will cover this up like they always do.the da should have had the tape in his custody,befor it can be altered.

grizz, tulsa (6/11/2009 7:21:05 AM)

Oklahoma's finest? Even Alabama redneck troopers won't interfere with an ambulance. Fire this idiot before he kills somebody.

CrocJaw, Tulsa (6/11/2009 7:30:16 AM)

Well, one thing we have all learned about this incident is ... dont talk with your hands (like the young ambulance attendant obviously does) when a policeman is driving by. This seems to be especially true if you are black and like to talk with your hands. So if you are black, sit on your hands when a policeman is near, and try not to give any excuse for them to drag you out and CHOKE you.

Carl, Henryetta (6/11/2009 7:41:03 AM)

crocjaw - the driver was WHITE, the only one they could see in the ambulance before stopping it was WHITE. Drop the racial thing - it wasn't racial. It was a case of a HOT HEADED trooper acting the bully = plain and simple.

I am outraged that the DA doesn't think it would "serve the public's interest" to bring charges.

Sarge776, Tulsa (6/11/2009 7:51:53 AM)

The tape in the OHP unit cannot be erased or edited. It is in the form of a DVD not a tape and they are set up so that the DVD cannot be erased or edited in any way. The OHP couldn't afford to have it edited just for the mere fact that in the long run, if it were discovered that it was edited, would be too costly for the Department to defend against, and believe me, if it means having the Trooper thrown under the bus as compared to the Department being at fault, then the Trooper will have to suffer the consequences. By the way, even after watching the cell phone video, even if the Trooper might of been wrong in stopping the ambulance, the person of interest in this whole mess, refused to be arrested, pushed the Trooper, and that means he committed the assault which is a felony in itself. Maybe both were wrong in the finality of it all, not just the Trooper. And furthermore, I would defy anyone, and any person, who would admit that if they thought someone flipped them off while driving down the road, they didn't get angered somewhat. Even though there isn't basically a law prohibiting such actions.