Newly released body camera video shows the minutes after a shooting on Cleveland's east side earlier this month and the scramble by police officers to transport the victim, who was shot 16 times, to the hospital after Cleveland EMS refused.
WARNING: The video above may be considered disturbing to some.
The incident happened around 6 p.m., Jan. 14, on the 18800 block of Pawnee Avenue. The 22-year-old victim was shot in his car while he was pulling out of his driveway, according to police records. After the man was shot, he drove about a quarter mile down the road toward East 200th Street at the border of Cleveland and Euclid.
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Police found the man and administered first aid while they waited for EMS to arrive — except the ambulance never showed up.
Initially, it appeared the man was shot four times — three times in the upper body and once in the foot. Authorities were later told by hospital staff that the man had been shot a total of 16 times.
In the video, officers can be heard talking about getting an ambulance for the wounded man.
That night Euclid EMS was unable to respond because their ambulances had been dispatched to other calls, including a fire that was raging in another part of the city. The nearest available ambulance was in South Euclid and had not arrived yet.
Cleveland EMS refused to transport the man, even though the shooting happened in Cleveland, because the victim ultimately ended up in Euclid.
The man pleaded with officers as he lay there bleeding. "Please take me to the hospital," he said.
A dispatcher told the Cleveland officers that EMS wouldn't be responding.
"Please, I'm getting light-headed. I can't breathe," the man said.
One officer said: "Our EMS won't come. Their EMS is coming from South Euclid."
In the video, someone asked if Cleveland had a closer EMS unit available. The Cleveland officer responded: "they won't come because it's in your city."
"What the f**k," a Euclid officer said.
"Even though it's our victim, they won't come," the Cleveland officer replied.
"This kid needs a f**king hospital", another officer said.
Foregoing the ambulance, Cleveland and Euclid officers loaded the man into the back of the Cleveland officer's patrol car and drove him to the nearest emergency room.
The hospital was less than a mile and a half away from where the man was found. With lights and sirens blaring, the trip took police a total of two minutes.
When they arrived at the hospital, officers helped place the man on a stretcher so he could be taken inside.
The condition of the man is unknown.
The City of Cleveland said it was investigating the incident.
