Police officers who forcibly arrested U of Utah Hospital nurse violated department policies, multiple investigations find

 

An internal affairs investigation by the Logan City (Utah) Police Department and an investigation by an independent civilian review board revealed the police officers involved in the forcible arrest of a Salt Lake City-based University of Utah Hospital nurse violated multiple department policies, The Salt Lake Tribune reports.

Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski revealed the findings of both investigations during a press conference Sept. 13.

Reports regarding the internal affairs investigation, obtained by The Salt Lake Tribune, state Detective Jeff Payne and his supervisor Lt. James Tracy violated five policies during the July 26 incident, including violating the department's law enforcement code of ethics and a city-mandated standards of conduct policy, according to the report.

The Police Civilian Review Board, which began probing the incident Sept. 1, also stated Mr. Tracy and Mr. Payne violated various department policies. The board found neither Mr. Tracy nor Mr. Payne "fully understood current blood draw laws or hospital policies, and … they did not seek legal clarification from the department's attorneys or other sources," the report states.

Salt Lake City police officials said the department began an internal investigation within 24 hours of the incident. Policies at the police department, the mayor's office and the hospital have been changed, or are in the process of being updated, as a result of the incident.

Mr. Tracy and Mr. Payne face potential termination by the department. The Unified Police Department, the FBI and the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office also opened a criminal investigation into the incident, the report states.

 

Copyright © 2024 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.

 

Featured Whitepapers

Featured Webinars