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Update: Two Officers Placed On Administrative Leave After Nurse's Arrest Video Surfaces

Body camera footage shows nurse Alex Wubbels being grabbed and handcuffed after refusing to draw blood from an unconscious patient at the hospital.

The Salt Lake City Police Department has put a second officer on administrative leave, because of bodycam footage showing a University of Utah nurse being arrested forcibly. 

Detective Jeff Payne and a second, unidentified officer were put on leave after the Salt Lake City District Attorney agreed to launch a criminal investigation into the incident at University Hospital.

The incident happened in late July. It started after officer Payne requested a blood sample from an unconscious patient.

The nurse, Alex Wubbels, refused, noting that the request did not meet hospital policy: the officer did not have an electronic warrant or consent, and the patient was not under arrest. Then, the detective arrested the nurse.

Wubbels was released a short time later and was not charged. But the incident drew widespread criticism, including from Utah Governor Gary Herbert and Congressman Chris Stewart.

On Friday, Stewart tweeted:  “If any police or civilian leaders were aware of this video and took no action they need to explain why? [sic] The public trust is too fragile.”

Salt Lake City Mayor Biskupski apologized on behalf of the city and police department at a midday Friday press conference. 

"We immediately changed policies that may have been a factor in this encounter. And the officer’s duties have been modified," Biskupski said. 

Within hours the officers were put on administrative leave.

Salt Lake City Police Chief Mike Brown said his department is investigating the arrest.

"Within 24 hours of this incident, Salt Lake City police department took steps to ensure this will never happen again," Brown said.   

The criminal investigation will be conducted by the Unified Police Department, which is independent from the city police. An internal investigation is already underway by the city’s Police Department and a civilian review board. 

Statements from the University of Utah hospital administration and Salt Lake City mayor and police chief can be found here and here

Julia Ritchey contributed reporting to this story. 

Erik Neumann is a radio producer and writer. A native of the Pacific Northwest, his work has appeared on public radio stations and in magazines along the West Coast. He received his Bachelor's Degree in geography from the University of Washington and a Master's in Journalism from UC Berkeley. Besides working at KUER, he enjoys being outside in just about every way possible.
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