It would seem that most people on the planet have seen the viral video of Alex Wubbels, the nurse at the University of Utah Medical Center, being arrested by police officer Jeff Payne because she insisted on following state and federal law, along with hospital protocol, regarding Payne’s demand that he be permitted to draw blood from a car accident victim. Not surprisingly, most viewers have reacted with outrage and after the incident became public, the Salt Lake City Police Department placed both Payne and his lieutenant, James Tracy (who ordered the arrest), on paid leave.
Pretty much everyone agrees on this one point: Payne and his boss at the very least violated department policy and probably broke the law. Whether or not they are punished is another matter.
In releasing the video during a press conference last week, Wubbels said that while she was grateful for the overwhelming support she received and for the apologies given her by the Salt Lake police chief and the city’s mayor, she called for “more training” for police officers to keep them from violating the law. Would be that Payne and his lieutenant engaged in this outrageous behavior simply because they had lacked proper “training.”
We have been down this road many times. The idea that government is supposed to protect our “inalienable rights” (in the words of Thomas Jefferson’s eloquent Declaration of Independence) is woven into our mystical political fabric, but instead of protection, governments hand out abuse, lots of abuse. While the vilification that Payne and his police allies presently are receiving is well-deserved, the real problem is not people like Payne, nor will firing him – as much as his superiors need to do it – will solve any fundamental problems with government agents abusing everyone else.
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10 comments:
Democrats told me he owned slaves therefore non of it matters what he wrote. Right ?
Politicians and the system favor support of thugs and criminals rather than law abiding citizens.
I wonder what kind of responses this article will get. When one of us says something similar we are inundated with terms like cop haters, thugs, criminals, and threatened with no police response at all should we need to report something.
This article also seems to blow the "one bad apple" theory out of the water too. Unfortunately, he is more correct than he is wrong. Some/a lot of us have been saying things like this for years, mostly falling on deaf ears and even threatened with physical abuse.
I don't think it will ever change though. No one or no institution gives up power voluntarily. Once power is given to someone or something the only way they will relinquish it is by force. And no amount of training will ever totally stop what they currently do or stop them from escalating the abuses we see every day.
The American people are a tolerate and a fearful bunch with bad memories. They will continue to endure whatever is thrown at them until it gets to the point where they finally have had enough. And then all the past injustices they have been subjected to and heard about happening to other people they know will come to the forefront and their own brand of justice will be meted out.
That is just human nature and we have seen it time and time again throughout history. The proverbial straw just hasn't been placed on the camels back yet.
I am 26 year veteran of a MD Police agency.
There is already case law out of Washington D.C. that says police are not obligated to protect you....even though they have "To protect and serve" pasted on the side of their police cruisers.
I have seen a lot instances in which police hope you are ignorant of your rights.
I am a proud member of the OATH KEEPERS https://www.oathkeepers.org/
We firmly pledge our allegiance to the constitution of the United States of America and will not follow any orders that violate a citizen's rights.
I have tried to sign up other officers with this organization but sadly, even though they believe in the second amendment, they thought joining this organization was to radical and that they would be targeted.
This is sad that officers in this day and time think that reaffirming their allegiance to the constitution to the USA was radical.
There is already case law out of Washington D.C. that says police are not obligated to protect you....even though they have "To protect and serve" pasted on the side of their police cruisers
1:10 AM
The Supreme Court ruled that the police did not have a constitutional duty to protect a person from harm.
salt lake is it's own little world. mormons! says enough!
You can bet most cops did NOT think Payne broke the law. Thank goodness for cellphones...never trust a cop.
Anonymous Anonymous said...
salt lake is it's own little world. mormons! says enough!
September 16, 2017 at 7:39 AM
What does it say exactly? That you're a bigot?
Detective Payne does not seem to me to be a lot different from the police who have harassed me all my adult life.
I am 71 y.o., NEVER BEEN ARRESTED, but because of what I look like I have had my rights violated so many times by police that I lost count.
Pocket video and YouTube have done more to address police corruption than anything in history.
September 16, 2017 at 12:43 PM
So you are 71yoa. Do you still move pianos? Do you still reside in Cali? How did you come across this blog? Do you still play in a band?
Nice to meet you and welcome.
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