Police officer Jeff Payne involved in Utah nurse arrest video fired from paramedic job

SALT LAKE CITY (UPI) — A Utah police officer who arrested a Utah nurse for refusing to hand over a patient’s blood sample has been fired from his job as a paramedic. Salt Lake City Police Det. Jeff Payne, who was also a part-time paramedic, was terminated by Gold Cross Ambulance after video was released last week in which he threatened to arrest University Hospital nurse Alex Wubbels. Video footage of the July 26 incident, taken from Payne’s body camera, was given to the media by Wubbels and her attorney. The footage shows Wubbels explaining the hospital’s policy on blood draws — adding that Payne needed a warrant or consent of the patient — and a demand by Payne to lead him to the patient so blood could be drawn. The conflict was followed by police pinning Wubbels against a wall and handcuffing her. She was then dragged from the hospital and placed in a police car. Viewers expressed outrage and condemnation after the video was seen on the internet. Wubbels was released after about 20 minutes. Payne was placed on administrative leave by the police department and on Tuesday lost his paramedic job. Payne’s videotaped actions “violated several company policies and left a poor image of the company. We determined today it was best to part ways,” Gold Cross Ambulance chief Mike Moffitt said. A statement from the company said, “Although Jeff was not working for Gold Cross Ambulance at the time of the incident, we take his inappropriate remarks regarding patient transports seriously.” Moffitt added that his company received threatening telephone calls after exposure of the incident, prompting several reports to police and added security at its operations center. The Salt Lake City Council called the incident “unacceptable.” Written by UPI writer Ed Adamczyk