Rochester police investigator suspended after handcuffing Black EMT at hospital, department says
(CNN)A Rochester, New York, police investigator has been suspended with pay after he was seen on surveillance video pushing a Black EMT and handcuffing her at a hospital early last week, according to Carlos Alvarado, a spokesperson for the police department.
Police announced the suspension earlier this week, updating a statement Rochester Police Chief David Smith made last week that called the July 11 incident "deeply concerning" and said he has "high expectations for all members of the Rochester Police Department."
"As a result of this interaction at Strong Hospital, I have directed our Professional Standards Section to initiate an internal investigation," Smith said.
In surveillance video obtained by Rochester television station WHEC, the police investigator can be seen moving towards EMT Lekia Smith inside the hospital, and then pushing her against a wall next to a gurney carrying a patient. The investigator then is seen turning the EMT around and putting her in handcuffs before leading her outside.
Attorney Elliott Shields told CNN that his client is an EMT with Monroe Ambulance. When she and her partner pulled up to the hospital, the investigator's police car was parked very close to the ambulance. When Smith opened her door, she "made contact with the police vehicle," Shields said.
The investigator "immediately comes over to her and yells at her, demands her ID," Shields said. His client told the investigator that she would give him her ID as soon as they transport the patient inside the hospital for treatment, he added.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/21/us/rochester-police-investigator-suspended-handcuffed-black-emt/index.html
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