Posted: 1/30/2014 4:24:53 PM EDT
|
A Officer in my area got stuck with a dirty needle.
Went with 2 other officers to serve an arrest warrant, made the arrest and got stuck deep in the palm of his hand while searching the arrestee. Here's the deal: He was familiar with the guy and found a dirty needle on him during a previous arrest. After cuffing the guy, he asked him specifically "do you have any needles on you, because you did last time"? Guy says, "no". Pats the guy down before reaching into his pockets and feels "something" he doesn't "recognize" in one of the guy's front pants pockets. Puts his hand in the guys pocket and feels the needle stick his palm. Pulls out his hand and the needle comes with it, imbedded deep. The guy had folded a regular letter envelope into a kind of sheath to "mask" the form of the hypodermic. He double-folded the bottom to make sure the hypodermic was solidly supported , with the needle sticking out open top of the envelope. Guy later told the officers he saw them arrive and changed into pants, placing the hypodermic in his pocket (the cap was in the other front pocket). He admitted: "I knew someone was getting stuck, I just didn't know who"? The guy is positive for Hepatitis-C, and has known it for months. The officer is a Afghanistan War veteran and a good guy. He now has to undergo repeated testing for 6 months before anything definite is known about possible diseases. The officer was wearing armored gloves in case you were wondering. |
|
My brother got a transfusion in the military and got Hep C and A , his life became a nightmare, constant tests, med visits, hospitalizations, ETC. He had to quit working as a general contractor 15 years ago, VA and SS took care of him while he lost his wife, home and ended up living in Govt. housing. The family didn't know how ill he really was as he was very introverted. He died of leukemia last June which was a direct result of the Hep C.
I feel for your friend, I hope and pray he doesn't become Hep C positive. It is not a disease to be treated lightly. Good luck to your friend. |
| Lots of guys around here use their ASPs to search pockets for just this reason. What they'll do is stick the closed baton in the bad guy's pocket, twist it, and pull it out again. The pocket ends up inside out. If there are any needles or other sharp things in there, they'll stick/cut the baton, instead of an officer's hand. |
|
you should NEVER search anyone without gloves
turtleskin I have an older version of these, great gloves |
|
Quoted:
why wouldn't the perp be charged with attempted murder of a peace officer? knowingly diagnosed with Hep C .. knowingly had a needle and hoping a cop got stuck. with the admission he can be charged in MN with knowing transmission of a communicable disease. |
|
Quoted:
He has been charged with Assault on a Peace Officer. Quoted:
Quoted:
why wouldn't the perp be charged with attempted murder of a peace officer? knowingly diagnosed with Hep C .. knowingly had a needle and hoping a cop got stuck. He has been charged with Assault on a Peace Officer. Too bad 2903.11 was so narrowly worded. 
Thoughts and prayers sent. A buddy was a former maintenance level heroin user. Several years after he quit, his Hep C was discovered during an insurance physical. 6 months of meds, his enzymes have been normal for the past 8 years. |
|
Quoted:
The officer WAS wearing armored gloves. The hypodermic penetrated through the palm of the glove. Quoted:
Quoted:
Wear good gloves and move slowly, prayers for the officer The officer WAS wearing armored gloves. The hypodermic penetrated through the palm of the glove. i'd be giving a call to the glove mfg in that case 
|
| Speaking of searching suspects or their belongings, any of you guys use those personal or small expandable type batons that are maybe 10-12" long for searching? Was at some training a few months ago and the one instructor was going over how he uses them for poking around into deep pockets and other similar areas. |
|
Quoted:
So, not that this in any way is a good situation, but the good news is that needle sticks very rarely actually transmit a disease. I believe it is less than 1%. Good luck to your officer. Prayers sent for a very stressful time. This, though I think the risk of Hep C is higher than that, I know HIV is lower than 1% through needle sticks. |
| Little bit of a facepalm to that officer. He knew the guys history, what was he thinking! Oh well.. I wish him the best. And hopefully nothing becomes of it. I can't imagine the stress of that. My partner got bloodspit in his face one time while arresting a dude with aids. |
|
Quoted:
Little bit of a facepalm to that officer. He knew the guys history, what was he thinking! Oh well.. . Did you read the bits about feeling something he didn't recognize and how the arrestee concealed the hypodermic's signature print by placing it in a folded envelope with a bit of the needle sticking out and upward? The officer was also wearing armored gloves. |
|
Quoted:
i'd be giving a call to the glove mfg in that case Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Wear good gloves and move slowly, prayers for the officer The officer WAS wearing armored gloves. The hypodermic penetrated through the palm of the glove. i'd be giving a call to the glove mfg in that case This always confuses me. Kevlar ballistic vests are not stab resistant without special inserts, because a sharp point will get between and through the weave. I've seen IIIA vests that were run through with a decent stick of the blade, even though the vests are still pretty thick. Yet cops will pay $50 for a pair of gloves that have a thin lining of kevlar, thinking they are safe from needles. To me, those gloves take away all feel, without providing any extra protection. If you have chains on somebody already, what is the rush? Especially with known users, I've searched them as if I was disarming a land mine, regardless of how forthcoming they are with information about where the needles are, what they are loaded with and what scumbag disease they may carry. I really don't care how long they stand there and how dumb some other cop may think it is. Screw getting stuck. |