Two Denver firefighters were suspended after falsely declaring a woman dead, then attempting to shift blame for the mistake.
On June 24, two firefighters joined the Denver Police Department to carry out a wellness check on a woman who was last heard from five days prior, a disciplinary statement from the Denver Department of Public Safety read. Upon entering the residence, they found the woman in such a bad state that they told Denver Fire Department Lt. Patrick Lopez she was “obviously dead,” although the officer in question denied telling officials not to enter the home.
Based on this information heard by firefighter Marshall Henry, who was part of the group checking out the home, and under directions from Lopez, Henry called the Denver Health Medical Center Emergency Department to obtain a field pronouncement of death, the disciplinary order said.
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On the phone with the department, Henry said the woman was in “an advanced state of death” and that it was “verified by police,” disciplinary paperwork said.
“The doctor asked clarifying questions about the patient’s condition and Henry deliberately misrepresented himself to the doctor as being next to the patient and as having performed a patient assessment,” the disciplinary action read.
Soon after Henry and Lopez left, another officer entered the premises and found the woman still moving, and the Fire Department returned to the house to take the woman to the hospital.
Henry and Lopez both informed their superiors of the mistake right after, but an investigation found it was likely Lopez lied to shift blame to the officer, according to Channel 9.
Lopez was demoted from lieutenant to firefighter and given a 14-shift, or 336-hour, suspension without pay, while Henry was given a 10-shift, or 240-hour, suspension without pay.
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The Denver Police Department did not respond when the Washington Examiner reached out for comment.
