Oklahoma cops refuse to release dashcam video of chokehold incident

June 13, 2009 @ 12:52AM

Oklahoma cops refuse to release dashcam video of chokehold incident

By Carlos Miller -...

Oklahoma State Police refuse to release the dashcam video that would prove whether or not a paramedic slammed the “door in a hostile manner” after being pulled over, leaving the officer no choice but to strangle him.

Witnesses believe Officer Daniel Martin was showing off for his wife – who happened to be in the passenger seat of his squad car – when he pulled the ambulance over for failing to yield last month.

Earlier reports had Martin claiming he was “assaulted” by the paramedic, which is why he had to place him in a chokehold.

But recent reports suggest the paramedic simply slammed the car door hard, forcing the officer to protect himself at all measures.

Much of the incident was recorded on a video camera by a family member of the patient the ambulance was transporting, including the part where Martin places one of the paramedics in a chokehold.

While that video doesn’t show what happened immediately after the paramedics pulled over, the officer’s dashcam should. However, police have refused to release it on the basis that they are “investigating” the incident.

Although prosecutors have refused to file charges in the incident, Martin has been placed on administrative leave. Paid, of course.

Martin claims the paramedics not only failed to yield for him but they also flipped him off. He also claims he was en route to an emergency at the time but it appears he was only picking up his wife.

The paramedics who were transporting a patient to the hospital, claim that Martin told them he was considering using deadly force against them.

It should be noted that in a separate incident, police in Texas have already released the dashcam video of an officer using his Taser gun on a 72-year-old woman – even though that incident occurred after the Oklahoma incident.

Comments

Anonymous

2 years ago

http://www.newson6.com/Global/story.asp?S=10526689

All it shows is the failure to yield. It doesn’t show the altercation.

Looking at the video, it appears that the ambulance couldn’t safely yield immediately because there was a car in the way (which was apparently yielding to the ambulance.) When the ambulance passed that car, it started to move over to the right and the break lights came on … so as best I can tell this officer was upset that the ambulance didn’t slam into the other car so it could yield fast enough.

Anonymous

2 years ago

I wouldn’t call what the ambulance did a failure to yield. They pulled over to allow the trooper around as soon as they got past the car in front.

I am sure if the dash-cam had vindicated the trooper we would have seen it long ago. I am sure that it will never be released. They will think up some mumbo-jumbo why it shouldn’t, like it a personnel matter, or some such.

Anonymous

2 years ago

It’s amazing what is slowly leaking out…

Anonymous

2 years ago

Why are the cops even making a big deal about flipping the bird? What statute prohibits it? I consider flipping the bird to be protected speech under the first amendment! It is as American as Apple Pie!

Some courts agree

Anonymous

2 years ago

Not releasing the tape just proves they have something to hide – it speaks volumes!!!

Anonymous

2 years ago

OHP has now released the video. After viewing it, it’s easy to see why they didn’t want it public. This officer is an out of control disgrace.

Anonymous

2 years ago

http://www.examiner.com/x-6121-Oklahoma-Crime-Examiner~y2009m6d13-Oklaho...

Anonymous

2 years ago

It looks like game, set, and match for this idiot cop.

Anonymous

2 years ago

Wow, that cop needs to be fired, have his pension stripped away, and spend a few years in prison.

Anonymous

2 years ago

Too bad the DA is refusing to charge anybody! but Daniel Martin is on administrative leave. He said “YOU’RE GOING TO JAIL”, and was wrong, and now he’s not allowed to send people to jail (at least temporarily). Talk about eating crow.

Anonymous

2 years ago

nevermind the fact that it’s a felony to interfere with a paramedic in commission of his duties (I.E. While transporting a patient to the hospital).

DA won’t charge him? what. the. fuck.

Anonymous

2 years ago

Now that we’ve seen the dashcam, the cop was itching for a fight. Period. He deserves to lose his gun and job. The DA *should* charge him.There is no gray area with this one. The medics were both calm, level-headed and never acted in anything like a threatening manner. And even if you might want to twist this somehow, once the medic said there was a patient in the back, the stop should have ended.

If I lived in the area, I would feel less safe with this hothead having a badge and a gun — and I’d DEMAND this cop be fired.

People forget that THEY are the ultimate bosses of the police. But if people act like sheep, nothing will happen.

Anonymous

2 years ago

I would have had the video posted earlier but I work at NBCMiami on the weekends and they would probably frown upon me working on my blog on their time.

http://carlosmiller.com/2009/06/13/oklahoma-police-officer-is-proven-to-...

Anonymous

2 years ago

I bet the cops have something on the DA and that is why the DA isn’t filing charges…

Anonymous

2 years ago

Wow can you belive what you can get away with if your a police officer. And they wounder why people dont like them.

Anonymous

2 years ago

Police officers have a difficult job but that does not change the fact that they routinely treat people with disrepect and over-react frequently. I think power goes to thier head and they think they can do whatever they want

Anonymous

2 years ago

How can any court ever trust that this person, (I can’t even call this guy an officer it would disrespect honest ones), that anything coming out of his mouth is not embellished given this guys truthfulness and claim demeanor under pressure. Be real you take your life in your hands when you pull over an ambulance.