A federal judge has thrown out most of a lawsuit filed by the family of a black woman who died in December 2015, while police forcibly removed her from a Florida hospital where she sought treatment. \u00a0U.S. Judge Robert Hinkle dismissed a civil rights claim Monday in the wrongful-death lawsuit Barbara Dawson’s family filed against the city of Blountstown, the Liberty-Calhoun Hospital, two former hospital employees and a former police officer. The judge also dismissed false-imprisonment and battery claims against the hospital and its former employees.<\/p>\n
A claim that the hospital failed to provide emergency care for Dawson, who was 57 years old when she died, still stands and could be heard beginning in October.<\/p>\n
“The hospital is still liable for damages,” said family attorney Daryl Parks. “She will still have her day in court.”<\/p>\n
Hospital spokeswoman Sandi Poreda said the hospital appreciates that the court “continues to move this matter closer to resolution.”<\/p>\n
Frances Scott, the personal representative of Dawson’s estate, filed the lawsuit last June.<\/p>\n
On the day she died, Dawson was discharged from the hospital, but refused to leave because she said she was having difficulty breathing. John Tadlock, a white Blountstown Police officer, handcuffed her in the emergency room and she was charged with disorderly conduct and trespassing. She collapsed when Tadlock tried to put her in a patrol car.<\/p>\n
Drew Peacock, an emergency medical technician, and Jennifer Waldorff, a nurse, tried to help Tadlock get Dawson back into the car after she collapsed. Less than 20 minutes later, a doctor reassessed her and she was taken back to the emergency room. Dawson died about 90 minutes later.<\/p>\n
The medical examiner’s office found that Dawson died from a blood clot due to being excessively overweight.<\/p>\n
Tadlock resigned as a police officer last March , but Blountstown Police Chief Mark Mallory said the resignation was not related to the case. A state attorney ruled last year that Tadlock’s actions were “appropriate under the circumstances and there was no criminal law violation.”<\/p>\n
Waldorff and Taylor were fired by the hospital. A search of Florida Department of Health records shows that Waldorff still has her nursing license after completing an eight-hour course in patient assessment.<\/p>\n
By: Joe Reedy<\/p>\n
Source:\u00a0theglobeandmail.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"