Tulsa World: Video: Trooper's dash video released

MAKE US YOUR HOMEPAGE | Wednesday, February 10, 2010 | WIRELESS

Home > News > Article

Newspaper View Print this story

Comment

RSS

Bookmark

Video: Trooper's dash video released
An Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper and a paramedic scuffled with each other May 24.

By World Staff
Published: 6/13/2009 2:26 AM
Last Modified: 6/14/2009 6:10 AM

Clara Harper of Boley on Saturday watched the dashboard video from the patrol car of a state trooper who later scuffled with a paramedic.

In a way, though, she said it was not necessary.

“I can remember everything,” she said of the May 24 incident that has gained nationwide attention.

Harper was following in a separate vehicle when the ambulance ride of her sister, Stella Jordan, took a turn that no one could have anticipated.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol released the video late Friday. Because of technical difficulties downloading the video, the Tulsa World obtained only a portion of the recording late Friday.

The video shows Trooper Daniel Martin pulling over the ambulance and then cursing at its driver for failing to get out of his way. After paramedic Maurice White Jr. suggested that both vehicles should take the ambulance patient to the hospital and then sort out the situation, White and Martin scuffled against the side of the ambulance. Harper said she viewed the footage and that it reinforced her impression at the time that White “never once became aggressive to that trooper.”

“He did nothing wrong,” Harper said.

Earlier in the day on Friday, authorities had said a two-week-long internal investigation into the May 24 confrontation had been completed and that the agency would not be releasing the dash-cam video.

The agency changed course, however, and officials with the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety released a statement at 10:37 p.m., saying they had determined that "it was in the best interest of the public" to release the videotape from a trooper's dashboard camera.

OHP Capt. Chris West said earlier in the day Friday that the results of the internal investigation were turned over Friday to the patrol's chief, Col. Van M. Guillotte, who will make the final determination on whether disciplinary actions are brought against the trooper. He did not know how long that review would take.

Martin is on paid leave pending the review.

"We've been well aware of the fact that this incident has drawn enormous attention, but made the decision to protect the integrity of the investigation, any and all relevant evidence, as well as the rights of the department employees during the course of the investigation, as required by law," West said in the statement released Friday night.

The Oklahoma Open Records Act was amended in 2005 exempting "audio or video recordings of the Department of Public Safety."

The ambulance was in the process of taking a woman to the hospital at nearby Prague when it was stopped by Martin for allegedly failing to yield to his patrol car while it was en route to a stolen-car report in Paden.

The ambulance did not have its emergency lights or siren on.

The trooper also claimed that the ambulance driver, Paul Franks, gave him an obscene finger gesture — a claim denied by Franks.

Martin had tried to arrest White for obstructing an officer when the scuffle broke out between them. Martin said he was trying to talk with Franks about the failure to yield but White kept trying to come between them.

West stressed that the internal investigation focused on whether any of the patrol's policies or procedures were violated. He noted that Okfuskee County District Attorney Max Cook has declined to file any criminal charges as a result of the incident.

Tulsa attorney Richard O'Carroll, who is representing White, had called for the release of the camera's video, claiming it would show the trooper's "outrageous behavior and unlawful actions."

A woman riding as a passenger in Martin's cruiser at the time has been identified as his wife.

West did not know the woman's name and said having a spouse in a car does not violate OHP policy.

White said he was trying to explain to Martin that the ambulance was taking a woman to the hospital. He said he asked the trooper to follow them and they could settle the matter after delivering the patient. He said the trooper would not listen and eventually tried to handcuff him for obstructing an officer.

That's when the first of two scuffles broke out. The second occurred when Martin tried a second time to arrest White.

Martin claimed that White grabbed him around the neck, so he placed him in a chokehold. His claim is supported by Trooper Bryan Iker.

White denies grabbing Martin's neck. His attorney says the cell phone video doesn't show White with his arm around the trooper's neck.

Ultimately, the ambulance was allowed to go on to the hospital, where Franks was issued a written warning for failure to yield.

Manny Gamallo 581-8386
manny.gamallo@tulsaworld.com By World Staff

Newspaper View Print this story

Comment

RSS

Bookmark

Reader Comments

Reader comments for this story have been moved to the most updated version of the story, now under the headline "Video: Witness: Trooper in the wrong," which was published on 6/14/2009. So far, 361 comments have been made.