Paramedics in Illinois charged with murder after patient dies

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Two paramedics in Illinois are facing murder charges after a patient died of positional asphyxiation shortly after he was taken to a hospital in December, court documents say.

Peggy Finley, 44, and Peter Cadigan, 50, responded to a home in Springfield on December 18 after police requested medical assistance for a 911 caller who “was suffering hallucinations due to alcohol withdrawal,” according to a news release from the Springfield Police Department.

Body camera footage released by police shows Finley entering the home’s rear bedroom as one of the officers briefs her on the patient, Earl L. Moore, Jr.

Finley is heard yelling at Moore to get up and walk out to the ambulance. “You’re gonna have to walk ‘cause we ain’t carrying you!” she says. “I am seriously not in the mood for this dumb sh*t.”

Two of the officers can be seen helping Moore outside and onto the gurney. Cadigan helps position Moore and both paramedics strap him onto the stretcher in a prone position.

“The Springfield Police Department was later notified the patient had passed after arriving at the hospital,” the police department news release says.

According to the coroner’s autopsy report, Moore died of “compressional and positional asphyxia due to prone facedown restraint on a paramedic transportation cot/stretcher by tightened straps across back and lower body in the setting of lethargy and underlying chronic alcoholism.”

Finley and Cadigan were arrested on January 9 and charged with first-degree murder, court documents show.

They’re being held at the Sangamon County Detention Facility on $1 million bond each.

Both are scheduled to be back in court on January 19.

CNN has reached out to the attorney for Finley and Cadigan for comment and has not yet received a reply.

Alcohol withdrawal is a medical issue that occurs when a person accustomed to regular alcohol consumption either decreases their intake or cuts it off entirely, according to information from the National Institutes of Health.

Symptoms of alcohol withdrawal vary widely among people experiencing it, and can include anything from insomnia, anxiety, or agitation in mild cases, to delirium tremens, seizures, or hallucinations in severe cases, the agency says.

Lifestar Ambulance Service, which employed the paramedics, declined to comment on the case, citing the ongoing investigation.

CNN has also reached out to the county’s executive chairperson for the Office of Emergency Management regarding its ambulance service contracts and has not yet received a response.

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[Wormy]

At most, they should be charged with animal cruelty. Addict's are scum.

Stop being so edgy! You're scaring the children!

If this wasn't a poison pill backdoor sabotage to get all charges dropped, some DA is trying to get press with a Murder 1 attempt. Smoothbrain move. This is straight up Depraved Indifference.

More than one EMT / AEMT / Para has been shot at by some section 12 nutjob because they saw flashing lights and uniforms and thought they were cops - But there should NEVER be fear of EMS workers, we're literally just here to save you.

Wife never had the problem of getting shot at living in Mayberry and all, but damn the horror tales of having to dig some 500 pounder out from a hoarder's house. That one happened way too often.

 

[Sweeter and Savoury]

Yeah, I have to agree with you here, so I guess 2nd Degree Murder would be the best charge to hit them with.

Yeah that's a good point, and I couldn't hear what she said to the police officer, so she very well could have said something similar to "I hate him I hope he dies" - With her horrific attitude I can see her saying that.


Both of you guys 100% nailed what I was trying to say. I'm pretty new to the field, and I'm glad that my take wasn't pants-on-head retarded.


That's another massive problem, tbh. It's already bad enought that we wear uniforms - More than one EMT / AEMT / Para has been shot at by some section 12 nutjob because they saw flashing lights and uniforms and thought they were cops - But there should NEVER be fear of EMS workers, we're literally just here to save you.

That's why the majority of EMS workers vehemently oppose any suggestions that we should carry firearms for self defense, because the moment we stop being seen as "People here to save your sorry ass" its game-fucking-over for EMS,

Oh your a scrub? You poor bastard.

I'll give you papa Sweet's best advice ever .

Get into FIRE as fast as you can and out of local. I spent the last 5 years of my career working in F/R and it was heaven compared to life on the streets. And I came from a CCPAT unit.

Get your certs and put in for every spot that opens and don't stop until your in. Just the sheer quality of life fire has is 100000% better then any EMT running around on the street. Even then money will be better the only issues is of course everyone wants into F/R so competition is tough.

 

[Mango Cobra]

Wife never had the problem of getting shot at living in Mayberry and all, but damn the horror tales of having to dig some 500 pounder out from a hoarder's house. That one happened way too often.

I don't know why but every single deathfat either lives in a hoard or on the 6th floor and doesn't have a working elevator. I don't know why this is, but I think it might be a law of nature.

Oh your a scrub? You poor bastard.

I'll give you papa Sweet's best advice ever .

Get into FIRE as fast as you can and out of local. I spent the last 5 years of my career working in F/R and it was heaven compared to life on the streets. And I came from a CCPAT unit.

Get your certs and put in for every spot that opens and don't stop until your in. Just the sheer quality of life fire has is 100000% better then any EMT running around on the street. Even then money will be better the only issues is of course everyone wants into F/R so competition is tough.

I'd like to go into F/R but I feel like I'd be too terrified to run into a burning building. My end goal is - And you can laugh, that's fine - Flight Paramedic because those guys are badass as fuck.

 

[Megaton Punch]

I do find it strange that they're being charged with 1st Degree Murder

That's how you know the establishment has chosen to foment a riot over this. "First degree murder" is one of those scary terms that everyone knows but almost nobody understands. It generates a fear response in the stupid. It'll be all over the headlines soon, complete with interviews of the guy's third cousin who he met one time thirty years ago crying and wringing his hands over the loss of a perfect angel at the hands of white supremacists. Expect Springfield to burn once the weather gets nicer.

 

[RodgerDodger]

Wife never had the problem of getting shot at living in Mayberry and all, but damn the horror tales of having to dig some 500 pounder out from a hoarder's house. That one happened way too often.

the steel screws and plates in my spine comiserate with her.

 

[Mango Cobra]

That's how you know the establishment has chosen to foment a riot over this. "First degree murder" is one of those scary terms that everyone knows but almost nobody understands. It generates a fear response in the stupid. It'll be all over the headlines soon, complete with interviews of the guy's third cousin who he met one time thirty years ago crying and wringing his hands over the loss of a perfect angel at the hands of white supremacists. Expect Springfield to burn once the weather gets nicer.

IIRC the weather in Minneapolis didn't stop the north american pavement apes from rioting mid-winter when Jamar Clark got shot for beating the shit out of his girlfriend, the EMT who was trying to work on her, and the cops trying to arrest him back in 2015. In fact if I recal correctly you had fat black women twerking for justice over where he got put down.

 

[MembersSchoolPizza]

Anyhow, as an EMT - Yeah, I know, Powerlevel - It was horrifying to watch the bodycam footage and the abuse they put on the guy when he clearly was sick and most likely also mentally ill.

Like Mango said, they 100% neglected their patient and maybe even deliberately fucked with him for reasons we'll never know. Yes, some patients can be a royal pain in the ass, some can be rude, aggressive and even dangerous but your duty is still the same no matter what. I've have patients I would have love to strangle right there in the back of the rig but you don't take your frustration out on your patients ever.

To power level right back...

That body cam footage was legit painful for me to watch. A little over a year ago, I went through... A medical situation. I don't have any plans to spill critical details, but suffice it to say: I was hypoxic, semi-lucid, and too weak to stand up, in my home. I remember most of went on when the EMTs got there, although looking back I can realize I was kind of out of it and saying some pretty off the wall things. I wasn't quite as out of it as this guy, but... Well, I don't remember the next two days in the hospital, lets put it that way.

What I *do* remember, however, was the two EMTs that showed up were frickin' awesome, who went out of their way to make sure I got out of the house comfortably, despite not being able to stand up on my own, and were polite and treated me with a lot more respect than a naked, raving man deserved.

Anyways, what I'm saying is, you two seem like good folks, and I'm glad there are good EMTs out there. I never got to thank the ones that helped me, so... for whatever little karma it's worth, I'm giving you a thumbs up.

 

[General Emílio Médici]

What makes me really baffled here is the fact they put the guy fucking face down on the gunnery. Literally never fucking seen that, not once. It is such a weird fucking thing to do. All they had to do was flip the alchoolic over, or have it lay down on his back like normal. It's such a basic fucking violation of regular procedure on this stuff that IMO guarantees they are gonna get at least manslaughter.

 

[Trout P]

I was going to say there's more to this than the article describes because people are charged with murder or worse and still don't get a $1M bail set.

Yup.

Two white people vs a black man.

Not that these two are innocent of negligence or whatnot, but definitely not 1st degree murder.

Can't wait to see if this one gets media attention and the race wars heat up.

 

[Rent Tin]

I don't know why but every single deathfat either lives in a hoard or on the 6th floor and doesn't have a working elevator. I don't know why this is, but I think it might be a law of nature.

I'd like to go into F/R but I feel like I'd be too terrified to run into a burning building. My end goal is - And you can laugh, that's fine - Flight Paramedic because those guys are badass as fuck.

Don't do flight medic, lost two good buddies that way. Plenty of other options.

I can't think of a situation outside of the hospital where I would place a patient prone unless there was some major trauma to their back that I needed to work on. Even then, side laying would be my first choice.

 

[Megaton Punch]

IIRC the weather in Minneapolis didn't stop the north american pavement apes from rioting mid-winter when Jamar Clark got shot for beating the shit out of his girlfriend, the EMT who was trying to work on her, and the cops trying to arrest him back in 2015. In fact if I recal correctly you had fat black women twerking for justice over where he got put down.

Huh, I didn't even know about that one. Although based on the highly biased Wikipedia article, that particular "protest" consisted mostly of paid agitators waving signs and one sacrificial white man getting railroaded into prison after being attacked. No city blocks being burned down or government buildings being sieged (peacefully, of course).

Hard to say if they're going to try to start another Summer of Love over this. I think it would be an enormous tactical misstep with how much negro fatigue the first one caused, but the federal government is nothing but a series of terrible decisions lately.

 

[Sweeter and Savoury]

I don't know why but every single deathfat either lives in a hoard or on the 6th floor and doesn't have a working elevator. I don't know why this is, but I think it might be a law of nature.

I'd like to go into F/R but I feel like I'd be too terrified to run into a burning building. My end goal is - And you can laugh, that's fine - Flight Paramedic because those guys are badass as fuck.

Aim higher IMHO. If your going to get that much certification go the whole route.

Up here in the desolate wilds of Canukistan we have the Critical Care Air Transport (CCPAT) rating which is what I spent most of my career as. I worked the air ambulance and loved ever minute of it but it's a tuff life. Long hours, case workouts are killer and you need to be constantly taking courses and keeping your skills 100% up to date. Mistakes cannot happen as your dealing with serious trauma cases every single shift so make sure you can handle the stress and side effects of such a career path.

It's no joke. I've watched many good fellow EMTs fall to drugs, alcohol and suicide because of the nature of the field and the fact we get shit support. Hell "back in my day" after a really rough call out it wasn't uncommon to come back to the debriefing room and see whiskey and vodka bottles scattered everywhere.

But still...hella worth it. At least for me personally. Your mileage my vary.

Still...in the long run I'd would still advise going F/R. It's just a better lifestyle for you and your family. Also as a para attached to Fire your not expected to actually go inside the burning building. Your skills are too valuable for that your there to save the lives of those the firebombs pull out. Yah you don't get to be the hero, you don't get your pic in the local newspaper but you can still tell the chicks your a fireman and get that sweet....reward.

Always remember; fire-boys make great IV poles. >.>

 

[ForgedBlades]

Holy shit that's a rough 44 and 50, do they inject liquid depression into their face every day?

Illinois does that to a person.

 

[Mortin Shart]

The strategy is probably to get them to plea for a less severe murder charge. Which is retarded because they will almost certainly never be able to prove pre-meditated murder and all the defense has to do is go forward with that charge to get the murder charges out of the way. The DA can't just move the murder charge down to 2nd, they have to go with whatever murder charge they originally went with and stick with it until the accused plea or the jury gives their verdict.

Maybe they are hoping the fear of the social backlash of walking from a first degree murder charge on a nigger will get them to plea or the Judge is a lefty social justice nutjob, but that is a pretty shaky gambit from the DA.

I think the difference in argument would be they're paramedics, they know better, therefore strapping the patient down while sick is equivalent to 1st degree.

 

[Sweeter and Savoury]

I think the difference in argument would be they're paramedics, they know better, therefore strapping the patient down while sick is equivalent to 1st degree.

You may have a point here but doesn't 1st require premeditation?

I"m not sure, not a legal eagle here so I'm just spitballin.

 

[Megaton Punch]

I think the difference in argument would be they're paramedics, they know better, therefore strapping the patient down while sick is equivalent to 1st degree.

@Sweeter and Savoury is right, killing someone on purpose isn't automatically first degree. First degree suggests that they went to the guy's house with the intention of killing him. Even if they can prove intent to kill, this case is open and shut second degree murder. The only way they could get them on first is if they found text messages saying "bro you awake? remember we're gonna murder that alcoholic today ".

People are speculating about the prone position being punitive or negligent, but there are two valid reasons I can see them going with.

One is that the guy was being belligerent and wouldn't let them turn him over. He was kicking and throwing a tantrum. If they suspected that he was minutes away from his heart exploding due to a combination of alcohol withdrawal and him clearly being extremely agitated, they'd need to get him in the ambulance ASAP. Can't spend ten minutes trying to get this adult toddler to cooperate. It's not protocol as far as I know, but you could make the argument.

A better one would be if they were worried about him aspirating on vomit. The call said he was having alcohol withdrawals, but he was acting pretty drunk to me. For all they knew he had just downed an entire bottle of vodka in one breath. Being on your back is the least safe position a drunk person can be in. If you inhale puke into your lungs and you're in bad shape as-is - say, the kind of shape a terminal alcoholic might be in - that can be a death sentence even with intervention. Flat prone, especially strapped down, is definitely not protocol, but again, he was having a tantrum. Maybe they did try to elevate him and he kept throwing the wedge off or something. We won't know until the trial.

 

[Thomas Talus]

My first gut reaction to this was that it sounds a lot more like criminally negligent homicide than acting with malice aforethought, but since IAAAL I know to check the statutory language before opining about the laws in other jurisdictions.

(720 ILCS 5/Art. 9 heading)
ARTICLE 9. HOMICIDE

(720 ILCS 5/9-1) (from Ch. 38, par. 9-1)
Sec. 9-1. First degree murder; death penalties; exceptions; separate hearings; proof; findings; appellate procedures; reversals.
(a) A person who kills an individual without lawful justification commits first degree murder if, in performing the acts which cause the death:
(1) he or she either intends to kill or do great bodily harm to that individual or another, or knows that such acts will cause death to that individual or another; or
(2) he or she knows that such acts create a strong probability of death or great bodily harm to that individual or another;

It looks like Illinois law charges "depraved heart" murders as first degree, and since the EMTs presumably had training about why not to do what they did and what damage it can cause, they are presumed to have knowledge.

 

[Return of the Freaker]

Yeah I figured something like that. But honestly all they have to do is put a reasonable doubt they didn't intend to kill him and BOOM, not guilty of 1st degree murder.

Calling it now this will get drawn out long enough to get another spring/summer of Burn, Loot, Murder. Also, remember paramedics, if you can't save Quantavious from being a 600 pound crackhead you're a White Supremacist murderer

 

[Rent Tin]

Words

We have a specific position for people who are puking, the recovery (side laying) position.

 

[Sweeter and Savoury]

The more I think about this the more the murder charge doesn't make sense.

If a doctor is negligent and causes a patients deaths is he charged with murder?

If a firefighter drops a victim on his way out of a fire and that person dies is that murder? (a bad example I guess as how would you prove he drop them deliberately)

These paramedics were operating within the scope of their duties. Acting callous and aggressive towards a patient isn't murder despite how evil it seems.

Yes the video makes the woman out to be a great big cunt who has lost all patience with the patient. It looks really bad but what did they actually do? Was strapping down the patient in such a position intent to kill or just calllous indifference towards the patient. Which isn't a crime no matter how evil it comes across.

Murder implies intent to kill right? Which means at some point in the video these two paramedics decided to kill this man because he was being difficult? I really don't think so.

Are they negligent towards patient care? Oh yah. Did they allow thier patient to die due to lack of action on their part? For sure. Did they break care protocols? 100%

But is that murder in the legal sense? Is it not more medical malpractice leading to death?

If the video wasn't available and we just had the facts of the case. IE these two strapped their patient down in a way that impaired his respiration to such a degree that he lost consciousness and died would we be barking up the murder tree? Or would we be looking at negligent manslaughter instead?

I dunno. Something tells me murder 1 is not going to fly here and is an over reaction due to a jogger being involved and the city being scared of an Floyd incident.