The Oklahoman
DENVER — An appeals court Wednesday ruled a Muskogee federal lawsuit should be allowed to proceed in a nationally publicized case where an Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper is accused of using excessive force in a 2009 altercation with of a paramedic in Paden following a traffic stop.
The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver rejected trooper Daniel Martin’s contention that he should be immune from prosecution because he was acting within the scope of his authority as a law enforcement officer.
Martin’s May 24, 2009, physical encounter with paramedic Maurice White Jr. caused a national stir after he was seen choking White during a roadside incident that was partially captured on videos recorded by the trooper’s dashboard recorder and a witness’s cellphone.