Michael Brown Shooting Witness: Michael's Pulse Not Taken For 30-45 Minutes

[TheBlackAdder]

As a First Aid/AED trained responder, something came to mind.


Most police officers I know have First Aid/CPR training, yet the witness (Tiffany) on the Lawrence O'Donnell show states that Michael's pulse wasn't taken until the EMTs arrived, some 30-45 minutes later.


1) In a heavily residential area, 45 minute EMT response sounds quite excessive.


2) I don't know the laws of Missouri, but in my state first aiders are to render care. This includes the police.


===


Why didn't the police immediately approach Michael to render care?


Are there criminal liabilities against all of the police officers for failure to render first aid?

[vanlassie]

1. I find this detail to be beyond the pale. WTF.

Isn't this ALSO what happened after the choke hold victim was dropped? Jesus H. Christ. Who are these fucking assholes?

[elleng]

4. I think EMS did at least check the choke hold victim's pulse.

[TheBlackAdder]

5. I recall that. It wasn't the officers though, they were just rolling him over and looking silly. nt

[elleng]

6. Right.

[Cali_Democrat]

2. Because the cops viewed Michael Brown as an animal. nt

[billhicks76]

10. Learned In Iraq?

We have to deal with the state of mind taught over there returning.

[catbyte]

14. Huffington Post had the right screaming headline today: "BAGHDAD USA"

Despicable. I so hope the Brown family gets justice.

[elleng]

3. They had no interest in rendering care,

had their own agenda.

[VanillaRhapsody]

7. which points out it was cold blooded murder...

he shot the kid....in the car and was afraid.....so he proceeded to murder him. Easier to claim "justified shooting" if the victim is dead.

[SammyWinstonJack]

8. I think that is correct.

[grasswire]

9. didn't the same type of thing happen to Trayvon?

IIRC, it was a long time before he was assessed.

[Uncle Joe]

11. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, TheBlackAdder.

[Moostache]

12. I was aghast when this was going on last Saturday...

We live in the St. Louis area and the story broke on local TV before the body was even covered - Michael Brown's body was left lying in the street, dead and still bleeding from gunshot wounds for an unbelievably long time.

NO CPR WAS ATTEMPTED.
NO VISUAL EVIDENCE OF A CONCERNED OFFICER OR ANY URGENCY AT ALL.
NO EFFORT TO EVALUATE MIKE'S CONDITION.
NOTHING THAT WOULD SUGGEST ANYTHING WAS BEING DONE TO SAVE MIKE BROWN OR TO SUGGEST AN ACCIDENT.

I just remember seeing that TV footage - maybe it was on tape delay, maybe it wasn't, I really don't know...but what I distinctly remembered thinking to myself was just how odd the imagery was...a lone officer (if there were more than one at first, the images in my mind don't recall it)...a clearly dead body....no EMTs...no attempt to stop bleeding or care for the wounded person...just a dead body and a pacing cop.

[R B Garr]

15. Wow, that's just straight up criminal negligence.

How horrible. I can't imaginee how horrible that must be for his loved ones if they saw that.

[BrotherIvan]

19. What if he wasn't deceased?

What if he could have been saved? It makes me want to throw up just thinking about it.

[catbyte]

13. This just keeps getting worse and worse.

My dearly departed dad was a police officer for 30 years, and I know that he would be horrified by how militarized police forces in this country have become. Why does a SUBURBAN area need this kind of fire power and all that goes with it? It looks like something right out of "1984." For once, I am glad he is not around to see this.

[merrily]

16. I am sorry that it came to that for you and even sorrier for Brown's loved ones.

This is so shameful, so widespready and so old, at least in urban areas. I hate it and I never get used to it.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

17. This was a murder....

Except on FOX "News" where it is a riot and looting.

Oh, and the claim that the New Black Panthers are behind all of this.

Check out this local reporter:

http://fox2now.com/2014/08/13/fbi-warns-new-black-panther-leader-in-ferguson-inciting-violence/

[C Moon]

18. Decades ago my friend tried to get a job as an officer and passed everything but the psych interview

(or whatever it's called).
I forgot the reason he was turned down—but when he told me about the questions they asked, I was shocked at how in depth they went.

Of course I don't know, but it seems these days a police department will accept you if you have military training, are fit and have a short hair.

[TorchTheWitch]

20. If he was obviously dead in looking at him

what possible care is there to give? Ever seen a dead body? You don't often need to take a pulse to know they're dead especially if their eyes are open or their bowels have released, etc. EMT's took awhile to get there because it was known he was passed any possible care - there was no emergency and no medical care necessary since for whatever reason they knew he was dead.

Not all police officers are qualified to render medical aid particularly not emergency "person is going to die" aid, and if they aren't qualified they damned well shouldn't. Police are first responders - not "first aiders," but that doesn't mean the same thing as what EMT's do as first responders nor are both always needed to respond depending on the situation. Same for firefighters. A first responder is someone in a job capacity that is qualified to do whatever it is that their particular job description dictates in certain situations, and are called "first responders" because depending on a given situation they are the ones that need to respond to the situation immediately.

Not all police officers are qualified to render emergency medical care nor have the equipment to do so. They aren't EMT's - that's the EMT's job. Just like EMT's aren't required to keep the peace or investigate crime scenes, etc. since their job as first responders is different from that of the police which is different from that of firefighters and various other first responders depending on the situation. I would assume that most police officers and firefighters know some basic medical care like CPR, tourniquet, and that sort of thing though firefighters would likely know more and have certain equipment like oxygen masks/tanks because of the sort of job that they do.