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Police chief accused of denying CPR to gay man

From Poverty Barn comes the news that in Welch, West Virginia, Police Chief Bobby Bowman has been has been accused in a federal lawsuit of impeding a rescuer from saving the life of 43-year-old Claude Green, who died of a heart attack in June. According to Green's friend, Billy Snead, who performed chest compressions on Green, Bowman ordered him to get away and said that Green was HIV positive.

"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."

Bowman denies that he he refused Green CPR and calls the accusation a "boldface lie" (obviously, he meant a "bald-faced lie"). Rose Saxe, an attorney with the ACLU AIDS Project said that Bowman's alleged actions not only contributed to Green's death (he died half an hour after arriving at the hospital), but also violated the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Says Saxe: “It’s hard to say what was more shameful: that Chief Bowman assumed Claude Green was HIV positive solely because he was gay, or that Bowman was so ignorant about HIV that he felt you couldn’t safely perform CPR on an HIV positive person.”

Posted by Diane E. Dees on 03/02/06 at 6:49 PM | E-mail | Print | Digg this | de.licio.us

Comments

Wow!

Maybe "intelligent design" proponents are right. This type of conduct is not consistent with evolution.

Posted by: AmeriPundit on 03/02/06 at 7:30 PM

Why isn't he going to jail?

Posted by: Sid on 03/02/06 at 11:44 PM

There's something fishy about this story. I don't know what it is. I'm going to give the policeman the benefit of the doubt until more facts emerge.

Posted by: Mark T. Blair on 03/03/06 at 12:18 AM

What is left out of the story, which I believe I saw reported in a local paper is that the officer knew the man was gay.

I live in that area of the country, and I don't find the story in the least bit surprising.

I have seen letters to the editor in this part of the country calling on all good Christians to pray that God would do to a local school what he did to Sodom & Gomorrah. Why? Because the school had allowed gay and lesbian student organization to exist. Judging from the response to the letter (and lack thereof) such a letter was not seen as that extreme.

That being said, one should always wait for the facts. I'm just saying that what was described is wholly within the realm of possibiity, even within the realm of the probable.

Posted by: Evil Twin on 03/03/06 at 1:18 PM

What! A peace officer that is stupid? I'm shocked,shocked!Many of these "county mounties" coouldn't find their asses with a road map!He(chief) should be in jail! Condolences to the family of the deceased.

Posted by: Panmth'a on 03/03/06 at 2:18 PM

What is so surprising about "red-neck hick" policeman in West Virginia refusing aid to a gay man is not so surprising at all. They all profess that they are "born again" christians, but they all are filled with hate for anybody that is different than them. Remember: Love one another as I have loved you.

Posted by: DillPickle on 03/04/06 at 5:10 AM

I agree with Mark T. Blair (above) that there is something about this story that makes me uneasy, beyond the obvious tragedy.
It's tempting to focus the anger at the cop involved, but i think that is too simplistic a target. Nope, there is a larger--more insidious--force at work were. and until more facts emeregy, i'll reserve final judgement.

Posted by: jay lassiter on 03/04/06 at 5:12 AM

I'd say that this story was twisted out of proportion for media hype.
Law enforcement employees all over this nation are among the first informed about communicable diseases and how they are spread.
I would say it's safer to believe that Mr Snead had a bias against the police and is using the tragic death of his friend for political purposes.

Posted by: James Neighbors on 03/04/06 at 6:53 AM

In response to DillPickle's comment that "They all profess that they are "born again" christians, but they all are filled with hate for anybody that is different than them." - I didn't get any sense of "hate" in reading the article. Maybe fear ... but that's a different thing. And are you maybe going a little too far when you say they "all" are like that? The situation described in the article needs to be investigated, but I think you undercut your point of view by exaggerating and reading more into it than what is there.

Posted by: mg on 03/05/06 at 5:56 AM

do you people really believe a police officer would pull someone giving cpr to anyone off? I know the officer in this article and I know the supposed rescuer and Chief Bowman would never do this. Why doesn't someone ask Mr. Snead how he was giving cpr to a man sitting behind the wheel of a small pick up truck....it can't be done!!!

Posted by: dmb on 03/05/06 at 9:46 PM

It will be interesting to see the outcome of this case. I brought it forward because it was accepted by the ACLU, who obviously thought it had merit.

Posted by: Diane on 03/06/06 at 7:48 AM

The sad part is, if they cannot prove that immediate CPR could have/ would have saved his life, the schmuck will most likely get away with it.

Posted by: Sal on 03/06/06 at 10:33 AM

TV host Oprah Winfrey gives audience members $1,000 (£526) each to donate to a charitable cause...

Posted by: Henry Myers on 11/24/06 at 8:52 PM