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Cops and the E.R.
The other day running back, Ryan Moats was detained by a police officer just outside the hospital entrance where his mother was dying.
I saw Heraldo Rivera ( Jerry Rivers) on a cable news talk show calling the incident "racial profiling" which it may very well have been. Having said that though, the very same thing once happened to me.
12 noon midsummer day wake boarding in Garbage Bay Lake Washington just off the U.W. Huskies football stadium. I jump the wake and when I land my left foot popped out and the ass end of the Board flew up and hit me in the side of the head on impact with the water. Next thing I remember I am having a nice conversation with friends somewhere far away in a nice place that is drowned out by the sound of a motor boat prop, which wakes me up, and I realize where I am and have been knocked out in the water.
I was wearing gloves. I put my hand to my head and then looked to see tons of blood mixed with the nice brownish green water of Garbage Bay.
Somehow I convinced my buddies that I was fine to drive myself to the E.R. alone and that they should continue to enjoy their sunny day of boarding. That was a mistake.
I got lost on the way to the hospital cause I had a concussion and drove around bleeding for a while, when finally I saw a big blue H sign. I came to a red light, stopped and waited. And waited. And waited. (And bled some more) I looked around, saw no fucking cars anywhere, took my fucking left turn against red.
If you have seen the footage of Ryan Moats then you know exactly what the next scene looked liked. Car parked to the left of the E.R. entrance, police car pulls up behind me.
The next thing that happens is a Police Man threatening a man with blood all over his face to return to the back of the car or I will be forcibly detained. He told me I had run a red light and was under suspicion of being a driver under the influence (at noon). I pleaded my case that it was likely I was under the influence of a bad head injury. He didn't like that response. He started to threaten me and try to get me to do a sobriety test. I decided in a daze to start wandering off into the E.R. thinking maybe a doctor could talk some sense into him. My limited medical knowledge did include that there was a possibility of internal hemmoraging which could kill me.
Next thing, Police Man puts his hand on his gun and starts making intense threats that I don't really remember, but I wasn't able to make it inside. I was however doing my best to say the alphabet backwards with blood in my eyes when I was finally rescued by guess who????? A different Police Man who rode up on a bike to see what was going on. He must have had seniority or something, cause he took one look at me and picked me up and ran me inside where they then started asking me what year it was and who was the pres. of the United States.
I have always thought of myself as a patient person, but remember my mother wasn't dying.
Ryan Moats is a gentleman and when put to the test showed the world that he is a asset to society, to his team, and most of all, a credit to his mother and family.
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Sorry To Hear About That
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Cops in the ER
Hey! I didn't know you surfed, and why should I? Cool though... I've had discrimination done to me by the popo too, which it is hard to discern a cops plsce in this world, period,,, a human would have seen what was really going on.......... I have been where you went, when you were knocked out though. It was really warm and friendly there, and they were drinking wine and laughing where I was,,, I wanted to stay there forever.
Good views people
Yes, very sad and tense situation. As a black woman, it is kind of insulting, but I also see how it could happen.
Reanne Jonesboro
Pure heart
I am impressed with your character and ability to see from others' point(s) of view.
This was sad for everyone
Not just black people. We were all sad about this.
Danielle
ER and the COPS
Nothing new to me. Even with a job, morals, and so much more, I am still being told in 2009 in Atlanta Georgia- I can't buy a home from a private seller(who happen to be a police officer as a referral) because they don't sell to N-----s......Yeah..even though I am black hispanic. Riddle me that. Callie
Cops and the ER
I just wanted to post a comment regarding the trip to the ER. First of all, law enforcement, like any other occupation, has its fair share of bad employees. Most of all, however, most of the officers working are in the field for the right reasons and are excellent at what they do. In your case, the officers actions should have been medical attention first and whatever crime he felt he saw, should have come last. Your, as well as any other persons, well being is most important. Head wounds bleed profusely and this should have been evident to the officer. As a police officer I know that most of my contacts with people of my community are because they are not having a good day. Either I have caught them committing an offense or they are a victim...either way they are not happy that I am there. We take care of business when business is at hand but it is a gripe to most of us when something like this happens, it looks bad on all of us. Just know that there are police officers out there that are here to protect each of you and the badge really isn't that heavy! Keep up the great music Mr. Cornell, it has help me through many long nights!!
profiling in general
This kind of thing goes on way too much around this country. I am a 42 year old white woman. Other than the presence of a couple of tatoos and the odd piercing (none of which are in my face anymore) I would say that, other than maybe looking a little "artsy", maybe possibly "rock and roll trendy"( I am really hard pressed to know what to call it), I look perfectly normal. A year ago my husband woke to find me in excruciating pain and completely AMS (altered mental status). He is a paramedic lieutenant with FDNY and promptly called an ambulance. Despite his diagnosis of me, and his rank in the department, they took one look at me, cancelled the paramedics which I so desperately needed, threw me in the ambulance with some EMTs and took me to the hospital under the impression I was on drugs (despite the fact that my husband told them no way). They stuck me in the hall of the ER in a wheelchair even though I was screaming that it killed me to sit up, and left me there. I began to pass out. A triage nurse came and tried to get a blood pressure from me and couldn't and still they left me there. My husband got there and told them that I must have an abdominal bleed ( I have had ulcers for years) and needed to be seen immediately. They told him it was busy and left. When I passed out again they finally took me in. The doctor came and started to ask me what I had taken, the problem was, at the time I didn't even remember my name and couldn't tell them I hadn't taken anything (although, my husband told them repeatedly). They didn't even bother to feel my abdomen to see that it was rigid. Just insisted it must be drugs and sent my husband home to find them. About an hour later one of the nurses went to put me in a gown and noticed a huge bruise on my back where the blood had been pooling. They finally felt my stomach and realized I was bleeding internally for some time (over 12 hours according to the surgeon). I was in the hospital for 3 plus hours by that time. Somehow I wound up o.k. The mortality rate for people who go through what I did is 95%. I got lucky. I am sure that my appearance had everything to do with the diagnosis the doctors were swearing by for those few hours. So its not just the police that are doing this kind of thing. Its very widespread in this country and doesn't always have to do with race. We can only hope that those police officers and the doctors that dealt with me learned something from the experience.
Sweden?
My god, your voice! When do you vistit Sweden? /Maria (We have the same birthday, July 20 ;) )
them darn protectors and servers
That's ridiculous man. why do we have to live in a world like that? i wonder what he was gonna try to charge you with. this other cop sounded like he had some extra training. you gotta figure, though, that when you put on a badge it gives you crime goggles and everyone looks like they're committing a crime, even if they're just trying to survive a massive head wound, they gotta be guilty of something. maybe you are lucky you got away. i'm sure they could have gotten you for something, even if it wasn't your fault. and that's how we get stories to tell.