9.20.2006

Wildly Unacceptable Negligence

Earlier this morning, Michael C. Hamlin pleaded guilty to the second-degree murder of The New York Times journalist David E. Rosenbaum. Hamlin and his cousin/accomplice, Percey Jordan, hit Rosenbaum on the back of the head with a lead pipe while he was walking on Gramercy Street, NW innocently listening to his iPod.

I'm glad that the MPD caught the guys who did this. The crime was particularly unsettling for me since the area around Gramercy Street is one of my stomping grounds. I'm always walking around there with my iPod at full volume. Of course, and as usual, Washington's response to this savage beating was just as unsettling as the crime itself.

First and foremost, these two murderers had mugged an ex-police officer in November, 2005. They stole a cell phone. That cell phone was used to call the perpetrators' relatives. The Metro Police Department failed to investigate that incredibly solid lead. The same thing happened with Alan Senitt's murderers (just with credit cards instead of cell phones). MPD will simply ignore solid evidence until someone turns up dead. Why even have a police force?

This one failure of Washington's civil services is horribly unacceptable. Naturally, there were plenty of other failures in the Rosenbaum case that were truly shocking.

The blow to Rosenbaum's head would prove fatal. But he was still semi-conscious when an emergency medical crew arrived, and the succession of mistakes that followed in treating him -- at the scene, in the ambulance and at the hospital -- sparked a public outcry and a withering critique by the D.C. inspector general.

There's the set-up. Now let's get to the mistakes!

While never stating outright that Rosenbaum would have lived if not for the failures of the emergency medical system, the report identifies one missed opportunity after another in his care, including an assumption by medics that Rosenbaum was drunk rather than suffering from a severe head injury.

"When you assume you make an ass dead person out of you and me."

An ambulance was dispatched from across town, even though others were available much closer to the scene of the attack, investigators found. The crew of that ambulance chose to bring Rosenbaum to Howard University Hospital, rather than an closer emergency room, because one of the emergency medical technicians had personal business to tend to near Howard.

Next time you're in an ambulance, remember that the EMTs would much rather attend to their personal business than actually save your life. Priorities, people. Sure their job, which comes out of our taxes, is to save our lives. No matter. I seriously hope that those EMTs got fired. What selfish assholes.

At the hospital, medical staff also failed to realize that Rosenbaum was gravely injured, and left him without treatment for an extended period. Rosenbaum died two days later.

Next time you're in a hospital emergency room, remember that the people taking care of you may be grossly incompetent. Seriously, if I end up with a fractured skull, my last conscious breath will be dedicated to whispering "Take me to Sibley." After that all I can do is hope that the EMTs have personal business to take care of on Loughboro Road.

49 comments:

  1. You scared me sh*tless with that post.

    You should work for the White House.

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  2. If you have a serious injury you don't want to go to sibley. GW is much much better. Washington Hospital center is pretty good too. Back in the day DC general was pretty good for gunshot and knife wounds, though not very good at much else.

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  3. Well, Sibley is the closest hospital to my (and Mr. Rosenbaum's) residence. So, in the case of a fractured skull, that's where I want to go.

    GW did do an excellent job on Reagan and Cheney though.

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  4. Sibley?! You might as well ask to go right to the morgue.

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  5. good post randy. can you imagine hitting someone over the head for a fucking cell phone? what the fuck?

    nice fucking city.

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  6. "GW did do an excellent job on Reagan"

    WHAT THE FUCK YOU KNOW ABOUT REAGAN?

    YOU WERE NOT EVEN ALIVE BACK THEN.

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  7. Well, let's see. He was shot multiple times and survived. Seems fair to say that "GW did an excellent job on Reagan" with this bit of knowledge, shitshifter.

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  8. If you're ever in trouble, always, always call a cab:

    Kenny Lyons, who heads Washington's paramedic union, tells his loved ones not to waste time dialing 911 if they face a dire medical emergency. "If they can find someone to drive them to a hospital, drive them. If they can somehow catch a cab, go," he says. The poor performance of the system, he says, "is haunting to the providers, and it should be chilling to the community."


    http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/ems-day1-cover.htm


    http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/ems-day1-dc.htm

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  9. YEAH AND WHERE THE FUCK WERE YOU BACK THEN? WHERE THE FUCK WAS THIS BLOG BACK THEN? WHERE THE FUCK WERE YOU WHEN THAT HUGE AIRLINE CRASHED INTO THE POTOMAC AND REGULAR WORKING CLASS PEOPLE JUMPED OFF OF THE 14TH STREET BRIDGE IN AN ATTEMPT TO SAVE STRANGERS LIVES?

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  10. Release the caps lock key. It's alright. Just put it down and we'll all walk away unharmed.

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  11. EMERGENCY RESPONSE MAY NEVER ARRIVE.
    DEAL WTIH IT
    YOU FUCKTARD TRANSPLANTS MOVED TO DC FOR HIGHER SALARIES, HIPSTER STATUS, CULTURE DIVERSITY AND TO CHANGE THE WORLD

    BUT YOU ALL NEGLECTED TO REALIZE ALL OF THE LUXURIES YOU HAD BACK HOME ARE NOT NECESSARILY GUARANTEED HERE IN DC

    SO DEAL WITH IT

    YOU TRANSPLANT SCUM!!!!!

    SO THE NEXT TIME YOU ARE BACK HOME IN PLESANTVILLE BRAGGING TO ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS THAT YOU LIVE IN DC NOW, CHANCES ARE GOOD NOBODY IS GOING TO BE JEALOUS OF YOU

    IN FACT, THEY ALL MAY JUST START LAUGHING AT YOU

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  12. Yeah, I go to George Washington University Hospital for all of my gunshot wound needs.

    If I just have a knife wound, whatever's closest, you know.

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  13. Where were you the day the music died.

    Bye bye, Ms. American Pie....

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  14. Hey, Hick Transplant Hater:

    If you knew anything about anything, you'd know that hipsters don't live in D.C., they live in Brooklyn or Manhattan.

    They don't live in D.C. and you're a black or brown or white redneck, from the sounds of it. Why are you so proud of having gone nowhere in life?

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  15. "Wow... Someone's stuck in the 80's".

    AT LEAST I CAN REMEMBER THE 80'S UNLIKE YOU. DC WAS A FAR MORE DANGEROUS PLACE BACK THEN. YOU WOULD HAVE GOTTEN YOUR ASS KICKED ON A DAILY BASIS.

    R.I.P. TINY BB

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  16. Proud to be old, eh? That's like being proud of being ugly, or poor, or driving a shitty car.

    So long as it works for you pal.

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  17. "If you knew anything about anything, you'd know that hipsters don't live in D.C., they live in Brooklyn or Manhattan.

    They don't live in D.C. and you're a black or brown or white redneck, from the sounds of it. Why are you so proud of having gone nowhere in life?"


    DC HAS IT SHARES OF HIPSTERS. STOP KIDDING YOURSELF.

    YOU THINK I HAVE GONE NOWHERE IN LIFE? WELL I PAID ABOUT 600K LESS FOR MY HOUSE THAN YOU DID FOR YOURS.

    I ALSO HAVE A RELATIVE WHO PLAYS IN THE N.B.A.

    SO GO FUCK YOURSLEF

    R.I.P. TINY BB

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  18. "Proud to be old, eh?"

    PROUD TO SAY YOU DUMBFUCKS MOVED OVER HERE BEFORE YOU REALIZED WHAT YOU WERE GETTING YOURSELVES INTO

    KNOW IT ALL 20 SOMETHING TRANSPLANT FUCKTARDS

    R.I.P. TINY BB

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  19. I'm actually 31, son.

    And proud of it. I'm not rushing life and, unlike you, I actually am NOT stuck here. I nearly moved to Seattle in April and I may live abroad at some point.

    My life is... better than yours.... I bring... all the girls to the yard...

    I don't care what color you are. You're a fucking redneck. Get my ass kicked, ay? If I had to move back into D.C. proper, I'd definately be packing.

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  20. Fuctard?

    Enough with the homosexual nomenclature, pal.

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  21. Fuctard?

    Enough with the homosexual nomenclature, pal.

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  22. "unlike you, I actually am NOT stuck here. I nearly moved to Seattle in April"

    I LOVE IT HERE. I LOVE DC BITCH.
    SEATTLE?
    GO THE FUCK BACK THEN.

    "My life is... better than yours.... I bring... all the girls to the yard..."

    WOW. YOU ARE GOING TO LIVE ABROAD? NOBODY FUCKING CARES.

    YOU GET GIRLS? EVERYBODY GETS GIRLS. TAKE A LOOK AT ALL OF THE PEOPLE IN THE NEWSPAPER GETTING MARRIED. NO BIG FUCKING DEAL.

    R.I.P. TINY BB

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  23. Rusty gets hot chicks too.

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  24. Redneck,

    You are lame. Yes, everyone gets girls, but not everyone gets the kind of broad I get.

    And I'm not FROM Seattle, pal. Try this on for size. I came from Point A, moved to Point B, and now am considering moving to either Point C or Point D.

    That rattling your little mind, girlfriend?

    Yeah, lots of people in the newspaper marrying fat bitches--glad I'm not one of them! Fuck you.

    No one cares about me living abroad? Right back at ya, homes. No one cares about you loving D.C.

    Fucktard homo.

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  25. Right back at ya, homo.

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  26. I think you missed the point of those lyrics. Not that I can get girls, but I can get more expensive ones than you.

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  27. I USE CAPITAL LETTERS BECAUSE I'M ON WELFARE AND CAN'T AFFORD A KEYBOARD THAT ALSO HAS LOWER-CASE LETTERS.

    I WISH I WASN'T A REDNECK.

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  28. WHATEVER YOU SAY, I CAN PERRY.

    FUCKTARD HOMO.

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  29. I like living in the same place forever, I like being a loser, I like being provincial. Who cares about you living abroad?

    Obviously you do if you're so angry at "transplants." Some part of you is jealous. Admit it.

    Something constructive. Tell me something more about your life that you really enjoy.... Aside from the fact that you know nothing else, what do you really like about this town?

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  30. rusty is just pissed because the last time the DC EMT's came to his house, the gerbil was already dead by the time they removed it from his ass.

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  31. Too many different people posting in all caps. Stop it. Enough already.

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  32. Look at the 31 year old idiot trying to argue over who has lived in more places and who gets more expensive broads. How pathetic.

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  33. I lived in El Salvador when I was younger and the drinking water was very dirty but not as dirty as the drinking water in DC.

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  34. Attractive girls can come from any background. So whats your point? Look at Paris Hilton the bitch is uglier than Linda Cropp.

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  35. Hey Anonymous,

    YOU are the idiot. I wasn't bragging about my station in life so much as trying to shut that asshole down for his dumb rhetoric.

    YOU are an idiot. Go ahead and be jealous. Yeah, I have more than you. Fuck you.

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  36. b jealous.

    it don't confront me none, negroid.

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  37. b jealous.

    it don't confront me none, negroid.

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  38. WHAT precisely is more pathetic about having more money than you? I don't get it....

    ????

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  39. My white wife comes from a wealthy family but I prefer to bang my latina maid when my wife is out of town on business.

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  40. um pathetic?

    you're such a loooooser

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  41. My white wife comes from a wealthy family but I prefer to bang my latina maid when my wife is out of town on business.

    I can dig that.

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  42. that sounds nice. you'll get no argument from me

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  43. Rusty has been known to cruise by day laborer sites looking for guys to service him.

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  44. i believe that much; it's so obvious.

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  45. Latina maids? Never had one before. I am considering hiring a live in Au Pair though. My divorced neighbor has one from Sweden. All the husbands in the neighborhood stare at her when she takes the children out for a walk. :)

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  46. negroid

    lolllllllllllll

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  47. So this is what I get when I go an entire 16 hours without touching a computer? Geez Louise.

    Bonus points for whoever made the gerbil comment.

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  48. "Look at Paris Hilton the bitch is uglier than Linda Cropp."

    This was funny. Captain CAPS is back. I'm overjoyed.

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