Report: Police Chief stops CPR on Gay Man

[Balta1701]

So...if the victim's friend is telling the truth here, it's a very ugly example of the costs of all that hate directed towards homosexuals.

 

Guy has a heart attack. Friend of guy begins CPR. Police chief tells guy to stop CPR. Says heart attack victim was HIV Positive. Victim is gay, but not HIV positive. Police Chief tells same thing to folks in ambulance. Victim winds up dying.

 

(If you do CPR right, there's no chance of HIV transmission through it, btw, even if the guy was HIV positive, which he was not)

 

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.

 

As it happened, the suit says, that was false. Mr. Green was gay, but he did not have the virus, according to the suit, filed in federal court in Bluefield, W.Va.

 

In the suit, Mr. Green's estate, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, accused Chief Bowman and the town of Welch of violating Mr. Green's civil rights and causing his death.

 

The Associated Press quoted Chief Bowman as calling the accusations lies. He said that he called an ambulance and that Mr. Green was taken to the hospital in "no more than nine minutes."

[Flash Tizzle]

I don't believe the issue here is blatant discrimination against homosexuals. The article never indicated such. It was misinformation on the possible contraction of HIV from mouth to mouth contact.

 

This thread would have been more accurate if it had been entitled "....Cheif Stops CPR On Man Infected With AIDS."

 

Personally, I would have atleast checked the lip/mouth region for open wounds before attempting resuscitation. If he had blood in his mouth, or an obvious gash or wound, I'm sorry--but I'm not going to attempt reviving the person through their mouth. I'd still continue pressing upon the chest, though. Call me vile or dispicable, but if I'm not a medical personnel with actual experience concerning such patients, he would die before I risk HIV infection.

[whitesoxfan101]

I think this incident is a sad statement about the lack of knowledge that still exists in regards to AIDS, rather than a hate crime. However, if a incident like this happens and the cop simply did this because the dying man was gay, it wouldn't surprise me....people just suck sometimes.

[WilliamTell]

I don't believe the issue here is blatant discrimination against homosexuals. The article never indicated such. It was misinformation on the possible contraction of HIV from mouth to mouth contact.

 

This thread would have been more accurate if it had been entitled "....Cheif Stops CPR On Man Infected With AIDS."

 

Personally, I would have atleast checked the lip/mouth region for open wounds before attempting resuscitation. If he had blood in his mouth, or an obvious gash or wound, I'm sorry--but I'm not going to attempt reviving the person through their mouth. I'd still continue pressing upon the chest, though. Call me vile or dispicable, but if I'm not a medical personnel with actual experience concerning such patients, he would die before I risk HIV infection.

 

 

Yeah I agree the title should've been with man inftected with AIDS. Being gay has nothing to do with this, if I had to do CPR, I'd help a gay guy out but AIDS is another question. But I don't know much about AIDS and who knows if there was an open cut in his mouth or what.

Edited March 5, 2006 by WilliamTell

[Rex Kickass]

Except the guy was HIV negative, and the police officer did not do chest compressions. He did nothing.

[Flash Tizzle]

Except the guy was HIV negative, and the police officer did not do chest compressions. He did nothing.

That's a problem, I agree. But in relation to Balta's post, the man's death had nothing to do with him being a homosexual. I'd rather give CPR to the gayest man alive than someone with HIV.

Edited March 6, 2006 by Flash Tizzle

[Rex Kickass]

Why do you think the cop thought he had HIV?

[Mplssoxfan]

I don't believe the issue here is blatant discrimination against homosexuals. The article never indicated such. It was misinformation on the possible contraction of HIV from mouth to mouth contact.

 

This thread would have been more accurate if it had been entitled "....Cheif Stops CPR On Man Infected With AIDS."

 

Personally, I would have atleast checked the lip/mouth region for open wounds before attempting resuscitation. If he had blood in his mouth, or an obvious gash or wound, I'm sorry--but I'm not going to attempt reviving the person through their mouth. I'd still continue pressing upon the chest, though. Call me vile or dispicable, but if I'm not a medical personnel with actual experience concerning such patients, he would die before I risk HIV infection.

 

 

One problem. The man didn't have HIV or AIDS. As stated earlier, he was HIV negative.

 

You're right, though. I would certainly be leery giving mouth-to-mouth to a person with open sores, unless I ahd my handy-dandy breathing mask, or unless they were a friend of mine.

[Mplssoxfan]

I guess I don't understand why the guy administering CPR didn't tell the Chief to mind his own damn business and continue with waht he was doing. Was there a threat of arrest or something. It's not really clear to me.

[Flash Tizzle]

Why do you think the cop thought he had HIV?

He (chief) obviously knew this individual before their encounter. Either he automatically associated the man's sexual orientation with HIV, which is obviously bad, or had misinformation about the man's status-- which is bad as well. Either scenario, action should be taken. I suppose I'm biased in believing a police chief wouldn't allow a homosexual man to die if he didn't legitmately assume the person were HIV positive. If he simply stereotyped, did he assume nothing would occur afterwards? No bloodwork to back up the claims, or testimony from the dead man's friend?

 

Again, I tie this situation to CPR treatment being denied because the man supposedly had the virus. Not because he was gay.

Edited March 6, 2006 by Flash Tizzle

[Soxy]

Again, I tie this situation to CPR treatment being denied because the man supposedly had the virus. Not because he was gay.

Unless he only thought he had the virus because he was gay.

[Mplssoxfan]

He (chief) obviously knew this individual before their encounter. Either he automatically associated the man's sexual orientation with HIV, which is obviously bad, or had misinformation about the man's status-- which is bad as well. Either scenario, action should be taken. I suppose I'm biased in believing a police chief wouldn't allow a homosexual man to die if he didn't legitmately assume the person were HIV positive. If he simply stereotyped, did he assume nothing would occur afterwards? No bloodwork to back up the claims, or testimony from the dead man's friend?

 

Again, I tie this situation to CPR treatment being denied because the man supposedly had the virus. Not because he was gay.

You're working under one set of assumptions, some of us are working under a different set. Let's go watch Rashomon and see if we can figure this out.

[WCSox]

I'd rather give CPR to the gayest man alive than someone with HIV.

 

If a police chief told me to stop administering CPR on someone because he's HIV-positive, I'd stop as well. I'm not going to contract HIV to save some stranger's life.

 

The police chief should be brought up on charges, though.

[NorthSideSox72]

I always carry a barrier mask in the jump kit in my car for this reason.

 

Also, unless both parties have open sores in their mouths, there is no way to get HIV from giving CPR. Just FYI. If you are confident you have no open sores in or on your mouth, they you have nothing to worry about.

[WCSox]

Also, unless both parties have open sores in their mouths, there is no way to get HIV from giving CPR.  Just FYI.  If you are confident you have no open sores in or on your mouth, they you have nothing to worry about.

 

It still wouldn't be worth the risk, IMO. If your gums ar irritated and bleeding slightly, you would be in danger of contracting it.

[Rex Kickass]

Yeah, you're also at risk for contracting Hepatitis and a whole host of other diseases, like Mono. Better to let someone else save this guy's life.

 

The guy wasn't wearing a sign that said "I Have AIDS." He was having a heart attack.

[NorthSideSox72]

Yeah, you're also at risk for contracting Hepatitis and a whole host of other diseases, like Mono. Better to let someone else save this guy's life.

 

The guy wasn't wearing a sign that said "I Have AIDS." He was having a heart attack.

I would worry a lot more about Hep, particularly a resistant strain, than i would be about HIV.

 

It is a tough personal call to make. I carry a mask in the car, and have one at home. I have a healthy fear of communicable diseases, thanks to my days in EMS. But even if I lacked the gear, I'd do the CPR, unless I had a specific contraindication (needle hanging from his arm and bleeding at the gums). Just my choice.

[WCSox]

Yeah, you're also at risk for contracting Hepatitis and a whole host of other diseases, like Mono.

 

I'll take Hepatitis or Mononucleosis over HIV any day. Better yet, I'll avoid all three of them by not exchanging saliva with complete strangers.

 

Better to let someone else save this guy's life.

 

Call me selfish, but I'm not going to risk destroying my health and my family's well-being because somebody's having a heart attack. I would certainly think twice before performing mouth-to-mouth on a stranger.

Edited March 8, 2006 by WCSox

[Balta1701]

Call me selfish, but I'm not going to risk destroying my health and my family's well-being because somebody's having a heart attack.  I would certainly think twice before performing mouth-to-mouth on a stranger.

Well, can we at least point out that in this case, according to the press reports, the deceased was no stranger to the man who was told to stop the CPR, but in fact they were friends at some level?

[WCSox]

Well, can we at least point out that in this case, according to the press reports, the deceased was no stranger to the man who was told to stop the CPR, but in fact they were friends at some level?

 

Fair enough. But why didn't the victim's friend tell the police chief that he was wrong about the HIV?

[Balta1701]

Fair enough.  But why didn't the victim's friend tell the police chief that he was wrong about the HIV?

It's entirely possible that he didn't know for certain that the deceased wasn't...but if he was trained in CPR (which he was), he certainly knew to check the mouth first. Also, it sure sounds in his side of the story like he was resisting the police officer's attempts to stop him, with the officer "Pulling" him away. Doesn't sound like the type of scenario where either side is doing much listening.

[GoodAsGould]

If it was one of my close friends or a family member id prob give them mouth to mouth CPR but for a stranger id say tough luck.....This story sounds weird though, im pretty sure the police chief had more of a reason than just the fact he was gay to think the victim had aids.

[YASNY]

Why do I keep picturing Jackie Gleason as I read this thread?