Paramedic Fights for Laws Against 'Battery By Bodily Waste' Attacks
By: Casie Mason
Updated: January 18, 2013
Tonight. we're taking a closer look at what can happen when police make an arrest. Some suspects may react with words or get physical. Sometimes they fight back in other ways by spitting. One Tri-State paramedic is asking for help to get more protection for first responders who wind up in these situations. Thirty cases of 'battery by bodily waste' on police occurred in the last year. Forty-nine cases occurred to other first responders like paramedics and EMT's. However, laws to protect police in these situations are not the same for paramedics. Now a Southern Indiana paramedic is fighting for stricter laws to help paramedic like him get the same justice other officials receive.
Knox County paramedic Jerry Ethridge says helping others is a passion, but after an incident last July he is taking a stand. "The police were doused with blood. I was covered." While responding to an emergency Ethridge says a man who was HIV positive threw blood on him. "He started clapping his hands when I was about from you to him away, just unexpected. Then he was spewing blood all over us and myself and the four police officers that were there," explains Ethridge.
So what's the problem? Laws protecting paramedics are not the same as those protecting law enforcement officials when incidents like this occur. So, Ethridge decided to ask for help from his State Representative. "We're going to do something to help him because we want to make sure that the people that put their life on the front line are protected. This gentleman was doing his job and as a result, he had some serious physical problems," says Gail Riecken. "i had to take a drug that for twenty-eight days, a provalatic, to try to prevent me from becoming HIV positive. I've been sick, but i've never in my life been this sick," says Ethridge. Gail Riecken says she will do all she can to help other first responders like Ethridge. "What we found out at this point is that as a first responder he is not protected. There is no law that protects him," she adds.Ethridge is happy someone is willing to help him, so he can continue to help others. "If any of my public service brothers get into a similar situation there will be something on the books that says hey, you did this, you're going to be accountable of this by XYZ law."
Just last night police in Evansville arrested a twenty year old man on eleven different charges. One of those counts, 'battery by bodily waste'.
Knox County paramedic Jerry Ethridge says helping others is a passion, but after an incident last July he is taking a stand. "The police were doused with blood. I was covered." While responding to an emergency Ethridge says a man who was HIV positive threw blood on him. "He started clapping his hands when I was about from you to him away, just unexpected. Then he was spewing blood all over us and myself and the four police officers that were there," explains Ethridge.
So what's the problem? Laws protecting paramedics are not the same as those protecting law enforcement officials when incidents like this occur. So, Ethridge decided to ask for help from his State Representative. "We're going to do something to help him because we want to make sure that the people that put their life on the front line are protected. This gentleman was doing his job and as a result, he had some serious physical problems," says Gail Riecken. "i had to take a drug that for twenty-eight days, a provalatic, to try to prevent me from becoming HIV positive. I've been sick, but i've never in my life been this sick," says Ethridge. Gail Riecken says she will do all she can to help other first responders like Ethridge. "What we found out at this point is that as a first responder he is not protected. There is no law that protects him," she adds.Ethridge is happy someone is willing to help him, so he can continue to help others. "If any of my public service brothers get into a similar situation there will be something on the books that says hey, you did this, you're going to be accountable of this by XYZ law."
Just last night police in Evansville arrested a twenty year old man on eleven different charges. One of those counts, 'battery by bodily waste'.
