Police Will No Longer Interact With Nurses In Utah Hospital After Nurse’s Arrest

Following the arrest of a nurse after she refused to break the law and violate the rights of a patient, police are now being reprimanded by the hospital. Cops are no longer allowed to interact with nurses at the Utah hospital where the unprecedented incident took place.

Footage of the incident, in which University Hospital nurse Alex Wubbels was placed under arrest by Officer Jeff Payne for refusing to draw the blood of an unconscious patient who had been in a car accident, went viral last week. The nurse’s July 26 arrest was captured on a police body-cam video and has prompted apologies from both Salt Lake City’s mayor and the police. Wubbels’ arrest was also the driving force behind the suspension of officer Jeff Payne from the police department.

Apologists for the cop’s behavior cling to the idea that no matter what order a cop gives, one should follow it; even if it means violating the rights of another human being. The police in Utah have since revealed that the patient whose blood a nurse refused to let a police officer draw without consent was, in fact, an officer himself; Officer William Gray of Rigby Police Department. Gray was a reserve officer and involved in the accident while driving a truck for his full-time job.

Posting on its Facebook page, Rigby Police Department issued an open thank you to nurse Wubbels for protecting their officer’s rights. “The Rigby Police Department would like to thank the nurse involved and hospital staff for standing firm and protecting Officer Gray’s rights as a patient and victim. Protecting the rights of others is truly a heroic act,” the department’s post said.