Utah nurse says videos show she was unlawfully arrested, assaulted by police officer

SALT LAKE CITY -- (KSTU) -- A University of Utah Hospital nurse has released police body cam and hospital surveillance videos to alert the public of what she says was an unlawful arrest and assault by a Salt Lake City Police officer.

Alex Wubbels was working as the charge nurse on July 26 when an unconscious semi-truck driver was brought into the hospital. The driver had been struck by a motorist who was fleeing from Utah Highway Patrol troopers in Cache County.

A Salt Lake City Police officer arrested Wubbels after she refused the officer's demand to take a blood sample from the injured truck driver.

Wubbels told the officer that the hospital and police department already had a policy in place that blood could not be taken without consent from the patient, a warrant from a judge, or unless the patient was a suspect in a crime.

“I was just trying to do it the right way," Wubbels said. “If they need blood they need to go through the proper channels.”

After displaying the blood draw protocol, the officer arrested Wubbel and placed her in his squad car. On the police body cam video, Wubbels can be heard screaming at the officer to stop.

“Please sir, you are hurting me,” Wubbels says.

“Then walk,” ordered the officer.

Karra Porter, Wubbels' attorney, said the incident was unlawful.

“There was both an unlawful assault and an unlawful arrest,” Porter said.

The civil attorney was also critical of the University of Utah Police for not intervening to help the nurse.

“She was rightfully afraid of her well-being,” added Porter. “They refused to take any steps to protect her.”