Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Paramedic accused of taking selfies with incapacitated patients gets 6 months in jail


Christopher Wimmer
That'll teach him.

A Florida paramedic accused of taking selfies with incapacitated patients and sending them to a co-worker in a "selfie war" has been sentenced to jail time, according to the Panama City News Herald.

Christopher Wimmer has been sentenced to six months in jail and three years or probation, the outlet reported.

He'll also have to perform 100 hours of community service and pay court fees.

Okaloosa County Circuit Judge William Stone barred Wimmer, 35, from working as a paramedic while completing his sentence, the News Herald reported.

He's said to have told the judge he "deeply regretted" what he had done.

"When I see ambulances drive by every single time in Boston, it reminds me of the mistakes that I've made and how it affected everyone else that was involved," he said.

 "To all the patients and their families, I want you to know how sorry I am for the things that I did and the crimes I committed."

The embattled paramedic reportedly pleaded no contest to seven felony counts of interception and disclosure of oral communications.

Kayla Dubois and Wimmer took compromising photos of patients inside ambulances without their knowledge or consent.
Kayla Dubois and Wimmer took compromising photos of patients inside ambulances without their knowledge or consent.(Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office)
He also pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of battery, which he was charged with after it came to light that he held open the eyelids of a sedated woman while posing for a photo.

One patient, Pamela Burman, told the paper she felt justice had not been served.

"For him not to get more jail time than he did is adding insult to injury," she said. "We were devalued as human beings … and he felt that he could laugh at us."

Wimmer and a female paramedic, Kayla Dubois, were investigated and charged in 2016 amid allegations that the pair were locked in an ongoing "selfie war," according to the News Herald.

The duo were believed to have photos of patients that were in their care inside ambulances on their cell phones.

An investigation revealed that 41 patients were photographed and/or recorded without their knowledge or consent.

Dubois was sentenced to two years of probation last month.

Wimmer reported to jail on Sept. 22 to start his sentence.

Full Article & Source:
Paramedic accused of taking selfies with incapacitated patients gets 6 months in jail

1 comment:

StandUp said...

One would have to be pretty sick to even think of this.