GOP Rep. Ronny Jackson Handcuffed, Detained While Trying to Help with Medical Emergency at Rodeo
On Saturday, trying to do the right thing led to Republican Rep. Ronny Jackson of Texas being put in handcuffs and briefly detained.
The incident happened at the White Deer Rodeo in the town of White Deer about 40 miles from Amarillo, according to the Texas Tribune.
A statement from Jackson’s office said he was attending the rodeo when he was “summoned by someone in the crowd to assist a 15-year-old girl who was having a medical emergency nearby.”
The statement that Jackson, who was a White House doctor for former President Barack Obama, was informed by a relative that the girl needed help in addition to the assistance being provided because “no uniformed EMS providers on the scene at the time.”
“While assessing the patient in a very loud and chaotic environment, confusion developed with law enforcement on the scene and Dr. Jackson was briefly detained and was actually prevented from further assisting the patient,” the statement continued.
“He was immediately released as soon as law enforcement realized that he, as a medical professional, was tending to the young girl’s medical emergency.”
The statement noted said Jackson was “in the stands during the entire rodeo, in full view of the assembled crowd, and was not drinking.”
Sheriff Tam Terry said in a statement a person was “temporarily detained” but did not identify Jackson. He said he is reviewing the incident.
In a Facebook post in which she referred to Jackson as “ER DR” (which he is professionally), Linda Dianne Shouse gave her summation of the incident.
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“I have never been more disappointed in our Rescue Team!!! I got called to render aide to my 15 year old cousin that was unresponsive at the White Deer Rodeo tonight!! She is not from here and was seen at the ER last night as she was told for dehydration and anemia!! I assessed her and she was NOT dehydrated! She was responsive to my voice but not aware of her surroundings. Respirations in the 40s. As I assessed her I noticed she looked as tho it was hypoglycemic episode,” she wrote.
“My cousin who is a BSN in a trauma hospital, myself and an ER DR were working on her. Had her responsive to her whereabouts! ER Dr agreed with me that she was seizing due to possible hypoglycemia. Sheriff’s department put a blood pressure monitor on her below her waist. I rose it to heart level and as she is awake and respirations are slowing down I placed a small piece of gum in a ball UNDER her tongue to give her some sugar. (Better than nothing).”
“Deputys screamed at me and not listening to any thing US medical Professionals had to say, they punched me in my chest and forced me back with a palm to my face as well causing me to fall backwards!! ER Dr was thrown to the grown and ARRESTED!!! I am beside myself!! Prayers for Bailey!!!!!” she concluded.
She later posted an update on Facebook.
“Debbie Bonds, Jamie Ots Turney, and myself would like to personally Thank Dr Ronny Jackson for his act of kindness and assistance in taking care of our 15 year old at the White Deer Rodeo! Us Healthcare Professionals worked very well together communicating during this medical crisis that occured! Again thank you so very much for being where you were needed with your Healthcare Professionalism!” she wrote.
Shouse told CNN that at one point a law enforcement official was in Jackson’s face, screaming at Jackson to “Get the f*** back.”
“He was trying to tell them that he was a doctor and probably trying to tell him who he was, to be honest. And they were screaming that they did not effing care who he was,” she said. “And the next thing I knew, they had him on the ground, grabbed him by the shirt, threw him on the ground, face first into the concrete and had him in cuffs.”
Shouse said once police realized who Jackson was, he was released.
“We had the scene under control. We were just ready to give a report to EMS and get the patient out of there. And that’s not what happened,” Shouse said “She wound up going eventually, but whenever you have someone laying there — when it could be neurological — time is on your hands.”
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
