Former paramedic gets 12 years for beating patient

[Liberal_in_LA]

Former paramedic gets 12 years for beating patient

KDVR Denver

2:31 PM MST, November 13, 2009
Former paramedic gets 12 years for beating patient

DENVER - A former Denver Health Medical Center paramedic was sentenced to 12 years in prison Friday for assaulting a patient who was being transported to the hospital.

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According to the arrest affidavit, the victim, Tim Smith, was rushed to the hospital for seizures and became combative, which is typical for the condition.

Witnesses told police that "Miller began striking (Smith) repeatedly in the face for no reason." "He was bleeding profusely from his nose and mouth."

One emergency worker "observed Miller punch (Smith) in the stomach and in the face then watched as Miller struck (Smith) in the side of the head with his right elbow."

http://www.kdvr.com/news/kdvr-paramedic-assault-111309,0,3474494.story

Smith suffered serious bodily injury, including a skull fracture, as a result of the assault.

[greennina]

1. That is such a stressful job.

It's sad to see it result in twelve years for the poor guy.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

4. My state revoked a license for a medic threatening to leave a patient if they didn't behave.

[Iggo]

5. Yeah. Poor guy.

What's the world coming to when you can't get a free pass after beating up a patient?

[man4allcats]

6. Give me a break!

He beat up and seriously injured a patient, then tried to lie his way out of it by blaming it on an innocent law enforcement officer. This S.O.B. should consider himself lucky all he got was twelve years!

[uppityperson]

7. bs to being sad for "the poor guy" who assaulted and then lied about it. More info...

"not only did Miller injure someone he was supposed to be caring for, he had also tried to avoid responsibility by blaming the assault on an innocent law enforcement officer."

12 yrs for assaulting someone you are supposed to be caring for then lying about it is...sad? No.

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_13784904
"The patient suffered a fractured skull, broken eye socket and broken nose." Have you any sadness for him?

Victim describes attack:
http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=127283&catid=339

"When he left he was breathing on his own. He was trying to get off the gurney," said Suzanne Lawrence, Smith's wife. "I know he didn't want to go to the hospital."

"When I got to the hospital it was a little shocking to see everything else. His eye was swollen up so badly that it was over his eyebrow. There was blood all over his face," Lawrence told 9Wants to Know.

She took pictures of Smith in the hospital which show his left eye purple and swollen. A tube is in Smith's mouth. Several tubes are attached elsewhere on his face. Lawrence says her husband stayed on life support for five days. "His mom was told, 'Come say goodbye to your son because they didn't think he was going to live,'" Lawrence said.

[Ron Green]

2. Paramedic, or paramilitary?

These days it's hard to tell.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

3. Have there been a lot of assaults by paramedics where you live?