5-Day Suspension For OHP Trooper

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol disciplines a trooper caught on tape in the now infamous confrontation with a paramedic.

The OHP says Daniel Martin will be suspended without pay for five days and will have to undergo “anger” assessment.

FOX23’s Abbie Alford reports.

This is far from being resolved. Since paramedic Maurice White has an individual pending lawsuit against Trooper Daniel Martin, the OHP would not answer follow-up questions in the press conference in Stroud.

However, in the press conference the OHP did release a statement and Martin’s suspension letter to the media.

The incident stems from the May 24^th, 2009 traffic stop where Trooper Martin pulled over an ambulance after he says the driver failed to yield to his cruiser and he was upset, accusing the ambulance driver of giving him the finger.

While a patient was inside the ambulance, the trooper’s dash cam video and the cell phone video from the patient’s son captured the trooper cussing and holding the paramedic by the neck.

In the suspension letter to Martin it states, “…while you were legally justified in stopping the ambulance and subsequently attemtping to arrest Mr. White, your decision making at the scene and the mamner in which you conducted yourself are not representative of conduct expected of an Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper.”

It further states once the trooper found out there was a patient inside the ambulance, Martin should have let the ambulance go and conclude the traffic stop after the patient had been submitted to the hospital. But the confrontation continued and the OHP says, “…your lack of inquiry into the welfare of the patient cannot be excused.”

The video did show Trooper Martin shouting and cussing and the OHP says because of that, ...”your demeanor and language at the scene was also unprofessional.”

"I would also like to say in closing that at this moment, members of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol continue to serve the citizens of this state honorably," says Captain Chris West, OHP.

The OHP says Trooper Martin’s five-day unpaid suspension went into effect Wednesday July 22, 2009 and will be allowed to return to work Wednesday July 29^th.

FOX News, Brian Wilson, says he drove by Martin’s home in Okemah Wednesday and says an OHP patrol car was parked in the driveway.

White’s attorney, Richard O’Carroll, says the OHP is sending the wrong message, “A five-day suspension is for someone who is late to work or screwed up paperwork…and not for someone who chokes a fellow professional.”

O’Carroll says he is not dropping the civil lawsuit against Martin, claiming Martin violated his client's 4^th Amendment rights.

Until Wednesday, Trooper Martin has been on voluntary paid administrative leave since June 1^st. The OHP says if Martin decides to file an appeal, he has 20 days from receiving the suspension letter.