It’s too soon to pass judgmentover first-responder photo: police

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This article was published 15/07/2019 (2426 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

People shouldn’t jump to conclusions about a controversial photo posted Friday on social media showing a man resting his head on the shoulder of a Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service employee, police say.

“I would caution people about making decisions and judgments and leaping to conclusions without all the details,” Winnipeg Police Service Const. Rob Carver said Monday.

The photo, taken by a passerby, appears to depict a WFPS employee seated on a bus bench posing with a man who looks to be unconscious, while other first responders, including two police officers, stand nearby.

A City of Winnipeg spokesperson said Saturday the man was simply resting his head on the shoulder of a WFPS employee while staff gave information to Winnipeg Police Service officers. The city is investigating, and issued a statement emphasizing the professionalism of its first responders after the photo circulating on social media cast staff in an “unbecoming” light.

On Monday, Carver said the WFPS was first called to a scene to determine whether or not a person was in medical distress or intoxicated. Under the Intoxicated Persons Detention Act of Manitoba, a person who is intoxicated in public and needs safe lodging has to be transported to Main Street Project by Winnipeg police officers or cadets.

The WFPS spent 90 minutes caring for the man until police arrived, officials said.

Police are looking into allegations a photo was taken by one of the officers at the scene, Carver said. Supervisors are connecting with those officers and the man who was taken to Main Street Project to get the details, he said.

“We’re going to look at this to make sure nothing our officers did was viewed as disrespectful,” Carver said. “When I have that, I will come forward with that information.”

A spokeswoman for the city said Monday the incident remains under investigation.

Carver said it’s important to know the context of such images.

“When a picture like this comes out, it affects everyone in the city,” he said. “People are concerned about this.”

First responders often have to speak with people who are agitated or intoxicated, Carver said, sharing with reporters a story about an officer’s interaction with a woman in the throes of methamphetamine psychosis, which had been misconstrued by a passerby.

In that case, the woman started marching, so the officer marched with her; the woman laughed because she thought it was funny and the policeman laughed, too. It helped them connect, Carver said.

“Somebody, a random citizen, chastised the officer — they thought the officer was mocking her and, in fact, it was anything but that. Him doing that made her laugh and made him connect with her in a way that they could get her into treatment and not have to use any force,” Carver said.

“It’s easy to judge from an outside standpoint and look at it and go: ‘Whoa, that was inappropriate.’

“It might be inappropriate if you don’t know what’s going on, but it might be… perfect to get them where they need to be safely and dealing with them in a way that makes them feel comfortable.”

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca