this is disturbing...
The New York Times reported earlier this month that the ACLU has filed a lawsuit against Robert K. Bowman, the police chief of Welch, West Virginia for allegedly blocking a gay man from receiving CPR.
Billy Snead was furiously trying to save the life of a friend having a heart attack on a West Virginia roadside in June when the police chief arrived. The chief, Mr. Snead recalled yesterday, ordered him to stop.
The chief, Robert K. Bowman of the small town of Welch, told Mr. Snead that his friend, red-faced and gasping for breath, had the virus that causes AIDS, according to a lawsuit filed yesterday. Chief Bowman grabbed Mr. Snead's shoulder, the suit says, pulling him away from his friend, Claude Green Jr.
Mr. Snead resisted, saying he was having success. Trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, Mr. Snead tried to continue pressing and then pounding on Mr. Green's chest.
"Every time I'd do it, he'd take a breath," Mr. Snead said of Mr. Green yesterday.
But the chief was adamant, Mr. Snead said. "He just come over and told me to get off of him," Mr. Snead said.
Mr. Green, who was 43, died at Welch Community Hospital less than an hour later. Chief Bowman, the suit said, did nothing to help Mr. Green but did tell ambulance workers and hospital personnel that Mr. Green was positive for H.I.V.
from the ACLU press release:
The ACLU filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on behalf of the surviving family members of Claude Green, Jr. against the City of Welch and Robert K. Bowman, Welch's Chief of Police. The lawsuit charges that Bowman discriminated against Green by preventing others from providing life-saving medical care to Green because of his sexual orientation and/or perceived HIV status. The lawsuit also charges that Bowman violated the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) by discriminating against someone he perceived to be HIV positive.
maybe i'm missing something, but it seems like this guy should be facing criminal charges as well as a civil lawsuit. one of the many frightening aspects of this incident is that it looks like Bowman is still in his job as Police Chief! i wonder what you have to do in Welch to get fired?
posted by fournier
This entry was posted
on Sunday, March 26, 2006 at 9:18 PM.
Want to discuss? Leave a comment below.
ByYes, it is disturbing that a lawsuit be filed against a person's freedom of choice whether they want to touch a gay (most likely AIDS-infected) person or not.
Liberals continue to push for the reduction of personal freedoms - and this is just another example. The police chief should counter-sue for attacks on his constitutional freedom of choice.
By
JustaDog, you don't know what you speak of sir. You should be ashamed of yourself. The Police Chief should be thankful Billy Snead isn't suing him for assault and charged with violating a federal act. How the Chief still has his job is outrages. But, I suddenly remembered that this took place in West Virginia. Where it's people aren't thought to be the most intelligent.
By
Amen Chad.
By
How typical.
Funny how so many people that love to bash "them thar librahls" never seem to get their facts right. No thought into one damn word they say, reading not one report, not one study, not one bit of research into the facts of any given situation before spouting off. And thinking only with an ick factor, here we get to see a callous disregard for a human life.
I mean, the information that Fournier points out is RIGHT HERE in this article!! DUH!!
By
well said Chad
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