The Trooper and the EMT

Yes, Mama realizes it sounds like the start of a bad joke. Mama likes bad jokes, but sadly this was all too real. Mama is sure everyone knows about the story.

Trooper pulled over ambulance. Trooper talked to driver. Trooper was interrupted by guy in the back. Trooper became irate. Trooper choked the EMT that was "in charge". Family of patient got the whole thing on camera phone....and part of it was caught from the dash cam.

Mama's first reaction was, "Is this a try-out for Jerry Springer?" Really.. Here we have two highly respected, professional people. Mama has been pulled over before, but Mama has never ever been harassed or treated poorly. Mama knows this is not the same with everyone. For those that feel they have been mistreated and want to vent about it, go here and register. However, for the most part troopers are stand up men and women.

Yes, the trooper was out of line. He could have quickly regained control of the situation and avoided turning himself into a public spectacle simply by saying, "I'll meet you at the hospital." Mama isn't going to get in to the what ifs and if onlys. It doesn't do any good. Instead, while it will seem like Mama is sticking up for a bad man, Mama wants you to consider something.

This trooper recently returned from Iraq. Could it be that while he was most certainly out of line he just wasn't emotionally ready or could not switch back to partial civilian mode? Over there - you never know who would kill you just as soon as look at you. Mama thinks it might take some time to be able to re-transition out of that mind set. Perhaps he wasn't quite ready to be on the force.

Mama knows three very nice people that served in Iraq. Mama certainly couldn't have done it, and the three of them did their jobs and when they came home they were certainly changed in aspects of their personalities. War changes a person. Define war however you want.

Mama thinks the trooper should resign and not necessarily because he did something wrong. Mama thinks it is in his best mental interest. We already know the family of the patient is going to sue; however think about this: she wasn't terminal and she wasn't a priority call or they would have kept going to the hospital with their lights and sirens. Mama isn't saying the patient wasn't important because she was very important. The EMTs had a duty to get her to the hospital...and that's hard to do when you're pulled over.

Mama just thinks this particular trooper wasn't ready for law enforcement work. Enforcing the law here must be completely different than enforcing the law in Iraq. Please don't rush completely to judgment on the situation.