Police Officer Accused Of Sleeping Through Medical Emergency

[matcom]

<snip>

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. -- A police officer resigned after an investigation faulted him for not responding to a medical emergency because he may have been asleep, officials said.

Thomas J. Bissett, 42, said on Wednesday that he resigned "because it was the best thing for me to do."

Police reports said Bissett was found asleep in his patrol car Jan. 26 near a parking lot where an elderly woman had fallen and suffered head injuries.

Frances Gilbert Votto, 83, of Winter Haven, died Feb. 11 of her injuries, family members said.

Winter Haven Police Chief Paul Goward and two officers found Bissett sleeping and woke him by pounding on his window, a police report said.

Bisset told The Associated Press that a medical condition could have caused him to fall asleep.

"I have a severe case of sleep apnea that was diagnosed after incident," Bisset said.

People diagnosed with sleep apnea stop breathing for up to 30 seconds at a time while asleep. This can happen hundreds of times throughout the night, which can wake up the affected person and result in daytime drowsiness.

The police department cited Bissett for sleeping while on duty and wanton or willful neglect in the performance of assigned duties. He was suspended without pay March 3.

Bissett told investigators he was not asleep at the time Votto fell, but he did not help her because he had not been dispatched to the accident.

"It wouldn't have made any difference in the outcome of the medical emergency," Bissett said, according to the internal affairs report.

According to police investigators, Bissett said he took Darvocet, a pain medicine that can cause drowsiness, the day Votto fell.

http://www.wftv.com/irresistible/4668075/detail.html

[tjdee]

1. Cops do this all the time.

Try to get that 2 hours of sleep during the midnight shift, that is. The article doesn't say what time of day it was though.

You have to love that he was on drowsy pain medication *and* that he has sleep apnea "diagnosed after the incident".

LOLOLOLOLOL!!

[SouthernDem2004]

2. People do this all the time... /nt

[Evergreen Emerald]

3. my friend had sleep apnea

Before she was diagnosed she would fall asleep at stop lights while driving! She worked as a teacher and said if she sat down at her desk for any amount of time, she would nod off.

When she was tested it was discovered that she woke up about 60 times an hour (every minute!).