Associated Press 
Michael Hill 
 Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester.  Screenshot / Google Street View

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A police investigator in western New York has been suspended after he handcuffed an emergency technician in a hospital emergency room after she crashed his vehicle while unloading a patient from an ambulance.

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The suspension was announced by city police Monday, a week after EMT Lekia Smith was handcuffed at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester. Security video obtained by WHEC-TV shows the investigator backing Smith, a black woman, into a corner as she stood next to a patient on a gurney. He grabs her arm, squeezes her hands behind her back and pulls her out. Police said the incident is under investigation, but declined to provide details and would not release the officer’s name. The officer is still paid while suspended. Smith’s attorney, Elliot Shields, said he started outside when the investigator pulled into the ambulance bay. The EMT got out of her ambulance to unload a patient and slammed her door on the patrol car. The investigator asked for her ID, but Smith explained that she needed to get her patient inside first.

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We apologize, but this video failed to load. Shields said the investigator then gave her a bear hug, causing her to temporarily lose her grip on the winch before breaking free. After handcuffing the EMT at the hospital, the officer took her to his vehicle and questioned her before letting her go, Shields said. “We don’t need investigators — high-ranking officers — operating like this, putting the community at risk,” Shields said. Smith released a statement through the community group Save Rochester saying she still has “some mental and physical difficulties” but wants to get back to work as an EMT and see justice served quickly. Rochester Police Chief David Smith promised a thorough investigation. “Obviously, this incident concerns me deeply,” he said in a statement.

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The Rochester police union, the Locust Club, called the investigator’s suspension “complicated.” “The incident in question came to a mutually acceptable resolution that day when both the investigator and the EMT were able to discuss the reasons for their actions together and both accepted the other’s explanations,” she said in a statement. Shields said that was not accurate. Save Rochester said the incident points to a damaged relationship between police and people of color. In 2020, police and city officials came under fire for their handling of the suffocation death of Daniel Prude, a black man who died in March a week after he was held by officers on the sidewalk until he stopped breathing.

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title: “Police Officer Suspended After Handcuffing Emt At Hospital " ShowToc: true date: “2022-10-29” author: “Jerry Harding”

Associated Press 
Michael Hill 
 Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester.  Screenshot / Google Street View

Content of the article

A police investigator in western New York has been suspended after he handcuffed an emergency technician in a hospital emergency room after she crashed his vehicle while unloading a patient from an ambulance.

This ad hasn’t loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Content of the article

The suspension was announced by city police Monday, a week after EMT Lekia Smith was handcuffed at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester. Security video obtained by WHEC-TV shows the investigator backing Smith, a black woman, into a corner as she stood next to a patient on a gurney. He grabs her arm, squeezes her hands behind her back and pulls her out.

Content of the article

Police said the incident is under investigation, but declined to provide details and would not release the officer’s name. The officer is still paid while suspended. Smith’s attorney, Elliot Shields, said he started outside when the investigator pulled into the ambulance bay. The EMT got out of her ambulance to unload a patient and slammed her door on the patrol car. The investigator asked for her ID, but Smith explained that she needed to get her patient inside first.

Content of the article

We apologize, but this video failed to load. Shields said the investigator then gave her a bear hug, causing her to temporarily lose her grip on the winch before breaking free. After handcuffing the EMT at the hospital, the officer took her to his vehicle and questioned her before letting her go, Shields said. “We don’t need investigators — high-ranking officers — operating like this, putting the community at risk,” Shields said. Smith released a statement through the community group Save Rochester saying she still has “some mental and physical difficulties” but wants to get back to work as an EMT and see justice served quickly.

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Content of the article

Rochester Police Chief David Smith promised a thorough investigation. “Obviously, this incident concerns me deeply,” he said in a statement. The Rochester police union, the Locust Club, called the investigator’s suspension “complicated.” “The incident in question came to a mutually acceptable resolution that day when both the investigator and the EMT were able to discuss the reasons for their actions together and both accepted the other’s explanations,” she said in a statement. Shields said that was not accurate. Save Rochester said the incident points to a damaged relationship between police and people of color. In 2020, police and city officials came under fire for their handling of the suffocation death of Daniel Prude, a black man who died in March a week after he was held by officers on the sidewalk until he stopped breathing.

Share this article on your social network

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Comments

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourages all readers to share their views on our articles.  Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site.  We ask that you keep your comments relevant and respectful.  We’ve enabled email notifications—you’ll now receive an email if you get a reply to your comment, there’s an update on a comment thread you’re following, or if someone follows the comments.  Visit the Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to customize your email settings.