Police: Polk paramedic punched handicapped patient in the head
(Bartow Police Department)
BARTOW, Fla. - Police in Bartow arrested a Polk County paramedic for felony battery after they say he punched a handicapped patient in the head because he was being uncooperative.
Investigators say the incident happened last Tuesday, when Bartow police officers responded to a request for assistance from Polk County Fire Rescue regarding an uncooperative patient at the Bartow Center, located at 2055 E. Georgia Street.
When officers arrived, fire rescue personnel were attending to the 67-year-old physically handicapped patient with Parkinson's disease, who paramedics said needed to be taken to the hospital for medical reasons.
With the man continuing to be uncooperative, four emergency responders placed him on a gurney and restrained him.
That's when police said Polk County Fire Rescue paramedic Matthew Mullins had one knee on the patient's chest and punched him in the forehead with a closed fist "while stating something to the effect of 'I'm from Combee, we don't play that.'"
Bartow officers then ordered Mullins off of the patient, who was then transported to the hospital for the original medical issue, police said.
According to investigators, the victim did not suffer any injury from Mullins' actions.
Police and fire rescue personnel notified Mullins' supervisor about the incident, saying they believed the restraint method was excessive.
After an investigation, detectives determined Mullins' actions were "not in self-defense or medically necessary," noting that the victim was not physically threatening anyone at the time when he was punched.
"In fact, he was being physically restrained by other emergency responders and under control at the time," police noted. In the arrest affidavit, they wrote that the patient was unable to move when Mullins punched him.
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"The action Mullins did to a member of the senior community was completely uncalled for. There is never a reason for first responders to use force on someone who is not deemed a physical threat," Bartow Chief of Police Bryan Dorman said. "It does not matter if you are a police officer, fire personnel or medical personnel. Wrong is wrong and Mr. Mullins will have to face the consequences of his actions through the criminal justice process."
Police charged Mullins with felony battery on a person over the age of 65, but were unable to locate him to arrest him.
A warrant was issued for his arrest on Friday, May 27, and police searched for Mullins throughout the holiday weekend.
It wasn't until Tuesday when Mullins turned himself into Bartow police.