How much is your job, reputation, integrity worth?

[DwayneEMTP]

http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/eastjefferson....xml&coll=1

Widow says EMT stole $238 from ill husband

Hospital probe clears man

Thursday, January 11, 2007

By Michelle Hunter

Authorities are investigating accusations that an East Jefferson General Hospital paramedic stole money from an unconscious man who collapsed in a convenience store last month, an act allegedly caught on tape by surveillance cameras.

The victim, James Smith, 46, died in his sleep of unknown causes on Jan. 1, but not before filing an incident report with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office on Dec. 27.

Smith said a male paramedic took $238 in cash from him as he lay on the floor of the Discount Zone food store at 5350 Jefferson Highway in Elmwood on Dec. 23.

A Sheriff's Office deputy who viewed footage from the store's three surveillance cameras trained on the spot where Smith went down said in his initial report that he saw the male emergency medical technician "bending over the victim . . . and reaching over the victim's right shoulder and with his right hand remove the victim's money from the victim's hand."

Smith told the deputy that no money was ever returned to him .

"I can't believe they did that," Smith's widow, Lisa Smith, said Wednesday. "I can't believe they stole money from my husband while they're supposed to be taking care of him."

Sheriff's Office spokesman Col. Robert Garner said the investigation was ongoing. ......

(Maybe the medic thought it was drug money?? :wink: )

Dwayne

[Michael]

Maybe the medic thought it was drug money

:thumbright:

And as long as he was using a "hospital probe" for the extraction, it must have been an official procedure.

[runsoversquirrels]

No, this was a transitional modular that the regional office sponsored[/font:7c3e319cef]

[JPINFV]

$240... The EMT in this case is a cheap ass.

/sarcasm

[Dustdevil]

See what happens when you allow EMTs to work on emergency ambulances?

I rest my case.

[JPINFV]

^

He's described in the article as being a paramedic...

[Dustdevil]

^

He's described in the article as being a paramedic...

And as an "emergency medical technician."

If he is a paramedic, I'd be willing to bet $238 dollars that he used to be an EMT. :wink:

[akflightmedic]

Dust you may be onto something...lol Just kiddning!

I read the entire 3 page story and throughout it, they use EMT and Paramedic interchangeably ( I hate when they do this).

Anyways, their unit was EMT Unit 30, so I don't know what level the guy was (doesnt really matter, does it)?

It seems the guy in question was cleared by the intial investigation but not yet by the Sherriff's department. I do not know enough to form an opinion so I will only comment from personal experience.

For years, I worked in an area where people magically had a thousand dollars anytime a cop talked to them or someone (EMS, police, fire) went through their pockets looking for ID or for medical alert cards. Or if they have $50, it was 250 dollars originally. Quite the regular occurrence. Was this a similar circumstance, I dont know but this syndrome is out there.

I like how the article ends stating that the victim had done his time in prison for murder but he was good now and he was NOT a liar!

[MedicNorth]

Does it really make a difference if this guy was an EMT or paramedic? If he did it, he is a thief - if not, he is a victim. It always amazes me how we expect our segment of the working world to be squeaky clean, and are (some of us) really fast at condemning someone who has allegedly done something wrong.

[whit72]

Yeah its amazing the homeless guy on the street cocked out of his mind is always wondering where his thousand dollars, and his Rolex went? They always seem to be cocked and loaded on or near the first of the month. We don't encounter many drunks near the end of the month. Got to love state aid.