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EMTs Who Ignored Dying Woman Might Face Jail Time
By
Ben Muessig
Published Dec 23, 2009
Modified Dec 23, 2009
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By
Ben Muessig
Published Dec 23, 2009
Modified Dec 23, 2009
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The EMTs accused of abandoning a dying pregnant woman in a Downtown Brooklyn cafe might face charges that could send them to prison. According to the Post, the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office is considering charging Jason Green and Melissa Jackson with reckless-endangerment for telling employees to "call 911," instead of putting down their breakfast and providing aid to Eutisha Revee Rennix, 25, who was having trouble breathing in a back room on Dec. 9. Rennix and her baby both died at the hospital.
The tabloid notes that first-degree reckless endangerment charges carry a maximum sentence of seven years, while second-degree charges carry a maximum sentence of one year. The two medics — who happen to be dating — worked as dispatchers in the building above the Downtown Brooklyn Au Bon Pain where Rennix fell ill. Though they worked mainly in the office and not in the field, a source told the Post that they had been recently re-certified to provide aid to patients. Green and Jackson have been suspended without pay and will appear under oath before FDNY investigators tomorrow, according to the Daily News.
The medics have come under fire from the victim's family and Mayor Bloomberg, but some union officials have defended their actions. According to ABC, EMT dispatch printouts reveal that Jackson dialed 911 from the eatery and noted the "seriousness of the medical call" by logging it as "D-I-F-F-B-R" — the code for "difficulty breathing." But sources say that Green and Jackson never even examined Rennix, and when the first ambulance arrived on the scene 11 minutes later, the medics from the responding crew didn't believe they dealing with a critical situation and left certain lifesaving tools in the vehicle. The attorney representing Green and Jackson stated: "While I cannot discuss any charges, as none have been served yet, I am confident the true facts and evidence will establish my clients acted appropriate to the best of their abilities."
Tagged
9/11
ambulance
au bon pain
emergency medical services
EMS
emt
Eutisha Revee Rennix
reckless endangerment
Ben Muessig
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