W.Va. Police Chief Denied Gay Man CPR

[Dixie_Peach 1]

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - A small-town police chief was accused in a federal lawsuit Thursday of stopping a would-be rescuer from performing CPR on a gay heart attack victim because he assumed the ailing man had HIV and posed a health risk.

Claude Green, 43, died June 21 after being stricken yards from City Hall in Welch, a community of about 2,400.

The American Civil Liberties Union sued on behalf of his mother.

Police Chief Bobby Bowman called the allegations "a boldface lie." He said that he called an ambulance and that Green was taken to the hospital in "no more than nine minutes."

"No one refused him CPR as his sister and mom are saying. They can do what they want, but if they're saying I refused him CPR, that is no way true," Bowman said.

The lawsuit accuses Bowman of pulling off Green's friend Billy Snead as Snead was performing chest compressions on the man. Snead was a passenger in Green's pickup truck when Green collapsed; Snead had managed to pull over the vehicle.

Snead said in an interview that he didn't realize at first it was Bowman giving the order and continued working on his friend. Bowman repeated his command to get away, saying that Green was HIV positive, then grabbed Snead by the shoulders and told him to sit on the curb, Snead said.

"He was a police officer so I got out the way. I assumed he would help. I didn't want to be a hindrance," Snead said. "He also told the ambulance drivers that he was HIV positive and to be careful."

Green was pronounced dead at the hospital after about 30 minutes of attempts to revive him.

Rose Saxe, a lawyer with the ACLU's AIDS Project, said Bowman's alleged actions contributed to Green's death and violated the Americans with Disabilities Act, equal protection laws and due process rights.

Saxe said Green's death was "tragically senseless" because he did not have the AIDS virus, but added that he should have received lifesaving care even if he was HIV-positive.

"He was simply a gay man in Welch, West Virginia. And because of that we can only assume that Chief Bowman assumed he had HIV and it was unsafe to even touch him," Saxe said.

When asked if he knew if Green was gay, Bowman would not answer and referred questions to McDowell County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Danny Barie, who also represents the City of Welch.

Barie said Thursday he had received a copy of the complaint but could not comment because he had not reviewed it or discussed it with Bowman.

http://home.bellsouth.net/s/editorial.dll?...&ac=5&ck=&ch=ne

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

This part is important... the facts of this case aren't in yet:

Police Chief Bobby Bowman called the allegations "a boldface lie." He said that he called an ambulance and that Green was taken to the hospital in "no more than nine minutes."

"No one refused him CPR as his sister and mom are saying. They can do what they want, but if they're saying I refused him CPR, that is no way true," Bowman said.

[pax 0]

Seriously, there's got to be something more to this. At least I hope there is.

[Sister Fracas 5]

hmmm

West Virginia, town of 2,400, officer knows the man is gay, hmmm

Why would he pull the friend off??

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

hmmm

West Virginia, town of 2,400, officer knows the man is gay, hmmm

Why would he pull the friend off??

Maybe he didn't.

His words: "... if they're saying I refused him CPR, that is no way true".

We should try not to jump to conclusions on this, just because it's a "small town".

[Sister Fracas 5]

hmmm

West Virginia, town of 2,400, officer knows the man is gay, hmmm

Why would he pull the friend off??

Maybe he didn't.

His words: "... if they're saying I refused him CPR, that is no way true".

We should try not to jump to conclusions on this, just because it's a "small town".

Maybe he didn't refuse giving CPR on the guy himself...he never jumped in to do it either (I would think CPR is part of officer training)...BUT...why would he prevent the guy's friend from performing it, or should we accept that the friend made the boldfaced lie? Just curious about that point...

Edited March 3, 2006 by Frances

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

...why would he prevent the guy's friend from performing it? Just curious about that point...

Like I said, maybe he didn't. At this point, it's all hearsay vs hearsay, ain't it?

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

hmmm

West Virginia, town of 2,400, officer knows the man is gay, hmmm

Why would he pull the friend off??

Maybe he didn't.

His words: "... if they're saying I refused him CPR, that is no way true".

We should try not to jump to conclusions on this, just because it's a "small town".

Yet the mere fact that this is conceivably true (instead of Joe and Jane Average instinctively coming out saying: "No Way, Not Here in this country") says a lot about the state of affairs in America today.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Yet the mere fact that this is conceivably true (instead of Joe and Jane Average instinctively coming out saying: "No Way, Not Here in this country") says a lot about the state of affairs in America today.

Indeed. No argument there.

[almaty 19]

hmmm

West Virginia, town of 2,400, officer knows the man is gay, hmmm

Why would he pull the friend off??

Maybe he didn't.

His words: "... if they're saying I refused him CPR, that is no way true".

We should try not to jump to conclusions on this, just because it's a "small town".

i think the cop is a bold face liar..growing up in a small southern type town and knowing some chopf##ks from west virgina..i sure the cop did exactly what was reported and is now covering his azz...

[faith 0]

...why would he prevent the guy's friend from performing it? Just curious about that point...

Like I said, maybe he didn't. At this point, it's all hearsay vs hearsay, ain't it?

exactly.. we don't know all the facts in the case yet.

[Mand 1]

Yeah, it's definately a case of who do you believe, but as Reinhard said...Yet the mere fact that this is conceivably true (instead of Joe and Jane Average instinctively coming out saying: "No Way, Not Here in this country") says a lot about the state of affairs in America today.

I'm inclined to not believe the police officer to be honest.