Cop suspended for handcuffing doctor rushing to deliver baby

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-speed30.html

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- A police officer who stopped a doctor for speeding on his way to deliver a baby, and then took him to the maternity ward in handcuffs, has agreed to an unpaid suspension for lack of judgment.

Dr. Anthony Chidiac was driving his motorcycle 10 miles above the 25 mph speed limit last March when he was stopped by 15-year veteran Officer William Lilliston.

According to records released Monday from an internal police investigation, when the doctor explained he was going to a delivery, the officer allegedly asked if he was delivering a pizza and later said, ''If you're a doctor, I'm Mickey Mouse or Joe Blow.''

Lilliston called the hospital to confirm Chidiac's story, and drove him to the hospital as the baby's head was showing. The officer then asked to see the doctor's driver's license before letting Chidiac change into scrubs.

Chidiac delivered the baby 15 minutes after the handcuffs were removed.

more

[China_cat]

1. I hope the parents

of that baby sue the officer for child endangerment.

[ZR2]

9. it wasn't a child

it was a fetus that was endangered. The doctor was present when the fetus became a child.

[LeighAnn]

59. Ever had a fetus kick you in the ribs or punch on your bladder?

Just wondering.

[EFerrari]

60. Thanks for bringing back that memory. lol n/t

[NNN0LHI]

67. Can't say that I have

Don

[globalvillage]

2. My brother was delivered by a cop.

There are heroes and there are assholes.

[Retired AF Dem]

4. He might not of been an asshole

everybody is lying until proven otherwise. He was proven otherwise.

[american_mutt]

7. nope, he was an asshole

he ASSumed no doctor would drive a motorcycle.

[Retired AF Dem]

10. Not hard to understand

you would think that doctors would know better.

[BiggJawn]

18. They would? Say...Did you used to work at Community East?

When I got run over by a drunk in '80, the ER nurse was really pissed that I had survived a bike wreck without a skid lid on.

"Were you wearing a helmet?"

"No ma'am."

"You should have been KILLED!"

"Oh, wow. Sorry to be such a major fucking disappointment to you. Hope the rest of your night goes better..."

[SW FL Dem]

32. Why can't a doctor ride a motorcycle? N/T

[Hekate]

55. Doc I used to date called them "donor bikes"

A friend who worked in occupational therapy had a lot worse things to say about motorcycles, since she actually had to try to rehab survivors.

I would never, ever let an adolescent male ride one if I could possibly stop him -- they are the biggest casualties.

My son is 27 years old and a very conservative driver; wears leathers, wears a helmet; I trust he'll do the right thing and I don't contemplate the morons on the road. That's how I live with that.

As to the baby doctor, there's no way he deserved what the cop did.

Hekate

[MollyStark]

50. What should they know better about?

He was trying to get to a delivery. Everyone in Ft Lauderdale drives 20 miles over the speed limit. The doctor was being conservative.

[don954]

14. This is fort lauderdale in 'break time

a motorcycle is the ONLY way to get around town fast.
(i live in fort lauderdale)

[BiggJawn]

15. Guess he never saw James Brolin on "Marcus Welby"

Who anm I kidding? He thinks Brolin is the guy who fixes gearboxes at AAMCO

[LiberallyInclined]

29. dr. steve kiley would NEVER break the speed limit-

or ride without a helmet.

[frustrated_lefty]

34. So sorry,

he determined NO ONE was allowed to drive over the speed-limit, unless they proved otherwise.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

51. All of TEN mph over the speed limit? And he decided making a few....

...sarcastic remarks and handcuffing the doctor BEFORE making the call to the hospital to verify the doctor's identity was the correct method of handling the situation.

What if something had gone wrong with the mother and/or baby while the cop was going through his intimidation routine?

Gee, I wonder why the cop was punished by his own department? Do you think it was because they also thought he was in the wrong?

[tblue37]

58. Exactly.

It was an intimidation routine. The cop was power tripping. It's how he gets his jollies. No doubt he does this sort of thing regularly, only this time he messed with the wrong person.

[Maat]

40. Uh-oh.

Because my ob-gyn brother-in-law drives a motorcycle - despite the fact that it has nearly killed him - TWICE.

If my ob-gyn had pulled in handcuffs ... I might be laughing my butt off ... of course, maybe not later. What a nutty situation!

[MollyStark]

48. Everyone is lying until proven otherwise

if all cops operate that way then they are all assholes and we are in big trouble.

[reprobate]

65. If they don't operate that way, they usually end up dead or injured.

When caught doing wrong we will all say whatever we can to get offthe hook, The flip side of 'personal respoonsibility'

[Media_Lies_Daily]

49. "Everybody is lying until proven otherwise"??? Interesting comment....

...but then again, the legal system has been moving toward "guilty until proven innocent" for quite some time, haven't they?

[whistle]

3. Uhmmm, more evidence of occupational profiling in Florida.....

[opihimoimoi]

5. dufusness has really arrived early thise Dufus Season.

[WI_DEM]

6. That cop used incredibly bad judgement

and it even sounds like he was unrepentant even when he found out the truth.

[vpigrad]

8. Do doctors are above the law now?

I thought we were supposed to live in a democracy where every man is equal. I can't believe some idiots here are complaining about the cop for doing his job.

[Stuckinthebush]

12. That was excessive

10 miles over the speed limit...give the guy a ticket and move on if you don't believe his story.

That was ridiculous and the officer deserves to be reprimanded. Good for his superiors for recognizing this.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

16. No, not above the law, but there is a thing called

discretion, and this asswipe does not deserve to be on the street if that is his discretion level.

[vpigrad]

22. Your post is ambiguous

> this asswipe does not deserve to be on the street if that is his discretion leve

Which guy are you talking about? The cop for doing his job or the doctor for endangering the public?

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

24. Sorry, you are right... I meant the cop... a motorcyclist

does not endanger the public, only him/her self with speed, which 35 in a 25 does NOT qualify.

[vpigrad]

36. If 35 was safe where he was driving...

then why was the speed limit 25? It was 25 for a reason. You might care more about some doctor that gets his kicks by driving fast and ignoring the law, but what if it was a family member of yours that was murdered by some idiot doctor that was just out having fun?

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

38. get real, he was not out having fun, he was going

to a hospital on a call.

How would you feel if a family member of yours was denied proper medical care becasue some ass of a cop delayed it?

Speed limits are more about control and raising money than safety,

And when was the last time you heard of a motorcyclist killing someone other than themselves?

Good day.

[beevul]

45. Elementary...

"If 35 was safe where he was driving...then why was the speed limit 25?"

Well, lets see...

The question you should be asking is...safe for whom?

The guy in the corvette who can stop in a short distance, or the guy on the bike, who can also stop rather quickly...if the speed limit were set to thier capabilities, people in vehicles with lesser capabilities would be in trouble, no?

This does not even begin to touch the human factor, which is also a big part of why any given speed limit might be deemed safe.(in a one size fits all sense, like speed limits have to be, for the most part)

That being said, the officer in question used poor discression.

Period.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

53. Since when is going to a delivery by one of your patients "having fun"?

[Media_Lies_Daily]

27. The cop would have faced a lot more than what he got if something had....

...gone wrong with the delivery.

I guess when I graduated from VT in 1973 they were still teaching basic common sense...I don't see any of that in your posts on this subject.

[mainer]

23. So... a doctor rushing to save a life is like anyone else?

I don't think so. Not when it's your doctor, and you're the patient who's lying on the table. This was not some doc just out cruising around for fun. He had another life to think about.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

26. Some "idiots" in this thread are blasting the cop for using poor....

...judgement. Evidently, his own department agreed with that opinion.

All the cop had to do was call the hospital immediately to confirm the identity of the doctor...how difficult would that have been?

[Spangle]

31. Did call the Hospital

So the article said. And he still put the handcuffs on him.

What I want to know is... if he was speeding 35 in a 25 mile zone, why was he being handcuffed.... as in ARRESTED? That is a ticketed offense, not worth an arrest. This cop sounds like he was going mental or something.

And YES, I'm suprised he didn't zap him. Seems the cops in Florida think it's the greatest thing these days. Even zapping the little kids.

[obxhead]

30. SO...

if the doc is late to YOUR family's delivery because of a bored cop that has nothing better to do than harrass him (after explanation) you would be totally cool with it right?

[Bake]

68. HANDCUFFS? That's doing his job??

I got a ticket for doing 79 in a 55 -- by my count, that's 24 over. I didn't get fucking HANDCUFFED!!

Also, there is the legal doctrine of NECESSITY. As in, there are times it is NECESSARY to violate the speed limit. Getting to a delivery just MIGHT be one of those times.

Sounds like the cop had the cowboy mentality. He'd fit in well in Cincinnati.

Bake

[paineinthearse]

11. I'm surprised the doctor was not tazered nt

[VegasWolf]

17. ***SNORT***SNICKER*** LOL n/t

[Media_Lies_Daily]

28. Based on recent stories about taser use in the media, I'm surprised, too.

[napi21]

13. This story is absurd! Pull the guy over, aske for ID. If the ID says

Doctor and he says he's going to an emergency delivery, say OK, bye!

What has happened to common sense in America???

[baba]

19. In the movies....

In the movies, doctors that are on the way to deliver babies usually get police escorts!

[VegasWolf]

20. Yes, but this is not the movies, it's FLORIDA in the USA South. n/t

[Media_Lies_Daily]

46. Las Vegas Police Investigating Death Of Man Shocked By Taser....

Las Vegas Police Investigating Death Of Man Shocked By Taser
<http://www.yourlawyer.com/practice/news.htm?story_id=8292&topic=Taser%20Stun%20Guns>

08/03/04 - A man died in Las Vegas police custody Monday night after being shocked with a Taser.

Authorities are investigating the death of the man who collapsed after being handcuffed following a scuffle with a roommate and officers at a home southeast of Las Vegas.

Police say they were called to a report of someone acting crazy, and shocked the man with a Taser to try to incapacitate him during a struggle.


What's that old saying about casting rocks?

[truthisfreedom]

21. when they removed "to protect, to serve" from the cop cars here i knew it

was over. "to intimidate, to harrass" is closer now.

the cop should have provided an escort to clear the way for the doctor.

[Robeson]

25. Yep. We are living in a country which has a military state mentality...

[frustrated_lefty]

33. The cop did the right thing.

He handcuffed a guy who was apparently breaking the law, found out the reason, and let him go. What's the grief?

[TheWatcher]

35. Oh yes, a real criminal on the loose, endagering the lives of everyone

He handcuffed the guy for going 10 milers over the Speed Limit? The Cop called the hospital and CONFIRMED his story was true and still hancuffed him?

Explain to us the painstakingly correct judgement that was used here.

I'm breathless with anticipation.

This was a completely unnecessary. All this idiot had to do was escort or take him to the hospital and sort everything out there.

The officer in question could actually have ASSISTED in this situatio, instead of acting like a reactionary thug.

And although I have no way of knowing, I would imagine if this asshole excuse for a cop wasn't a REPUBLICAN, then I'M Mickey Mouse or Joe Blow.

But I digress.

Just another ridiculous. mindless event in Bush's blooming, Brown Shirt, Paranoid, Delusional, Theocratic, Police State.

I feel so much SAFER with Officer's like this on the job.

[AgadorSparticus]

37. it's ok to handcuff a guy for going 10 mph over the speedlimit??

c'mooooooooon!!! It's okay to be arrested for speeding?? :WTF:

This cop is a 15 yr veteran and should know better. It actually sounds like Rambo got his ego bruised and isn't adult enough to admit it. When you are high on a power trip, you're bound to have a bad crash. The cop needs a reality check. I hope he finds it during his suspension.

[Robeson]

41. Sorry, I don't understand your logic. The previous two responses to...

...your post pretty much sums up my opinion. I'd be redundant to restate them....

[NickB79]

42. The grief is that he didn't let him go until he reached the hospital

He kept the handcuffs on the doctor long after he called in and found out he was who he said he was. He didn't take the handcuffs off until he got the doctor to the hospital. You wouldn't have a problem with this?

[DulceDecorum]

44. That cop should be manning a checkpoint

in Gaza or the Baghdad International airport,
because anywhere else he is considered to be scum.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

47. Did you really read that article? Since when do you handcuff....

...ANYONE doing 10mph above the speed limit? Why didn't the cop call the hospital first instead of handcuffing him to attempt to verify the doctor's story?

What if something had gone wrong with the mother and/or baby while the doctor was being "detained"?

The bonehead is lucky he still has a job, IMHO.

[nonconformist]

61. Handcuffed for going 10mph over the limit?

Sheesh, if that's standard, I should be serving a life sentence by now.

If he didn't buy his excuse as valid, he should have just wrote him a ticket and sent him on his way.

[FlaGranny]

39. I did a little research

and discovered that the name Chidiac is Lebanese. Do you think perhaps he looks a Middle Eastern? Maybe there was a little bit of profiling going on.

[Karenina]

43. That would explain the

Mickey Mouse comment... :eyes:

[MollyStark]

52. I was wondering about that

So the Doctor was handcuffed for looking Arab. Why am I not surprised?

[Media_Lies_Daily]

54. I had been wondering whether or not some form of profiling....

...had been used in this case.

Thank you.

[Kber]

56. Just wondering the same thing.

I've never been handcuffed for speeding. Hell, 10 MPH over the limit I don't think I've ever even gotten a ticket.

But then, I'm white.

[FlaGranny]

57. I'm not really

faulting the cop so much for handcuffing the doctor as I am for leaving the handcuffs on after verifying his identity and then taking him inside the hospital with the handcuffs on. That was completely and totally uncalled for.

[AnneD]

62. UhOh......

As a nurse, one of my cop friends (what is it about nurses and cops-it's like salt and pepper)told me that police don't like to ticket docs and nurses. Why? Because it is bad luck, you might wind up in their ER. I have had more than one officer in different states tell me the same thing.
I have had many let me off with a warning when I deserved a ticket....but I will be the first to admit it runs both ways. When a policeman or fireman (or child) are in the ER everyone tends to work all out, coding them a little longer hoping to get them back. I love getting them in the unit too.
I predict Officer Lilliston will learn his lesson, I just hope he doesn't have an accident any time soon.
I guess the perfect place for that dick was in labour and delivery. :rofl:

[progressivebydesign]

63. If a doctor isn't in an emergency vehicle, then he/she shouldn't speed..

Laws are laws.. While I'd like my doctor to get to me in a timely fashion, speeding only endangers others. The cop was a bit over the top on that.. but he did drive the doctor to the hosptial, probably with lights blaring.

[Kimber Scott]

66. A speeding ticket would have been the appropriate response, not

hand-cuffing and calling the doctor a liar for saying he is a doctor and was on his way to a delivery. A speeding ticket. That's it. That's the law. Maybe, the cop should follow it.

[Xipe Totec]

69. LOL!

You are way too diplomatic.

Kudos

[fleabert]

64. what really irritates me about this is

babies are born, not delivered. Millions upon millions of babies have been born without a surgeon's hands cupped to catch them. I know there are times when a surgeon (obgyn) is needed, but 90% of the time, left to their own devices, women do just fine without any intervention whatsoever.

Women give birth to babies, they aren't 'delivered'.

just a pet peeve.

:rant: