EMT Guilty of Deadly Defibrillator Prank

[LoKyBuckeye]

LINK

EMT Guilty of Deadly Defibrillator Prank

January 24, 2006 - A judge convicted a former rescue squad worker of involuntary manslaughter for zapping a co-worker with defibrillator paddles in what turned out to be a deadly prank.

Joshua Philip Martin, 25, faces up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced in March. Circuit Court Judge Michael Lee Moore, who found him guilty after Martin entered a no contest plea, said Monday he likely will order prison time.

Martin had been on the job four days when he carried out the deadly prank on June 1.

Courtney Hilton Rhoton told Martin not to touch her with the paddles, but moments later, he placed the device on her chest and shoulder and activated it, prosecutors said.

The 23-year-old mother of two small children went into cardiac arrest. Her body first stiffened and then went limp. Rhoton, who had been an emergency medical technician for one year, never regained consciousness and died three days later.

Martin was not yet qualified to use the defibrillator, which is used to restart a patient's heart with an electric current.

Martin's mother, Diane White, said he meant no harm and "just made a mistake."

Rhoton's sister, Chanda Lawson, said, "They're crying because he's going to jail, but my sister's not coming back."

 

[Thump]

Surprised he's only facing up to 10 years.

 

[exhawg]

We need to pass a law so that we can execute a person for being a dumbass. This guy should never be allowed to procreate. Anyway he killed a woman after she told him to stop. That sounds like more than 10 years to me. Send him to the fucking chair already!!!

 

[MililaniBuckeye]

His sentence should having the victim's mother defibrillate his ass...

 

[exhawg]

His sentence should having the victim's mother defibrillate his ass...

With this

 

[tibor75]

that sucks. If only the dumbass would have shocked her again, he would have saved her.

 

[Jagdaddy]

that sucks. If only the dumbass would have shocked her again, he would have saved her.

While the story doesn't say it, I suspect they tried that.

 

[BuckeyeNation27]

that sucks. If only the dumbass would have shocked her again, he would have saved her.

..

Y

 

[martinss01]

 

[AJHawkfan]

Well, I suppose it's a good thing this idiot isn't serving as an EMT anymore. I know I wouldn't want his dumb ass touching me if I were injured or ill.

 

[tibor75]

While the story doesn't say it, I suspect they tried that.

I doubt he did right away. Or maybe he did but since he was new he didn't know what he was doing. Because if she had a normal heart, it's pretty unlikely that defbrillating her in a timely manner wouldn't have worked.

 

[methomps]

Note to self: If you ever have a medical emergency, you're better off fending for yourself.

 

[Thump]

Shocking!!

 

[BB73]

Maybe he heard somebody saying how their girlfriend liked the 'shocker', and, being a moron, thought that's what he was doing.

 

[NightmaresDad]

We need to pass a law so that we can execute a person for being a dumbass.

I tend to agree, but then how many of us would still be alive?

maybe have a "felony stupidity" statute or something.