2 EMS Personnel Are Charged With Murder After A Man Dies Under Their Care

Two emergency medical service workers have been charged with murder after the death of the patient in their care in Springfield, Illinois.  Peggy Finley and Peter Cardigan were charged with the first-degree murder of 35-year-old Earl Moore Jr. 

The incident took place in December 2022 when Moore called 911 after seeing multiple people with guns.

When someone claimed that Moore is experiencing a hallucination due to alcohol withdrawal, police officers called Finley and Cardigan to shift him to the hospital.

The press release from the Springfield police stated that officers attempted to provide the patient with treatment and waited on the scene to ensure the medical personnel loaded the patient into the ambulance but the EMS workers acted indifferent to the patient’s condition. 

What Was The Reason For Death?

The autopsy report showed that the patient died from asphyxia and the paramedics neglected the patient’s needs.

After the investigation, it was proved that Finley and Cardigan placed Moore in the incorrect position and tied him with a medical strap across his back and lower body.

He was restrained prone facedown on a stretcher, which led to compressional and positional asphyxia. This incident took his life shortly after arriving at the hospital.

Moore passed away at the hospital at 3:14 am, and the cause of death was determined to be a homicide, according to Sangamon county coroner Jim Allmon at the news conference on Tuesday. 

The body camera footage showed that a female paramedic is instructing Moore to stand and walk to the ambulance even though he can’t. The medical personnel was not providing any assistance to him in his worse health condition. Police said. 

The Sangamon county state’s attorney’s office, the Illinois police officer, and the Sangamon county coroner are all looking into Moore’s death.

The representative for LifeStar Ambulance service, who employed Finley and Cardigan did not respond to the incident and told ABC news “no comments” regarding the investigation.

Teresa Haley, the president of the national association for the advancement of colored people commented that the paramedics treated Moore roughly because he was black.

In the video, they were treating him carelessly and cruelly. She added that everyone should be treated equally.

The Violation Of the Criminal Code

According to the National Institute of Health, alcohol withdrawal is a medical problem that happens when a person regularly uses alcohol and reduces consumption or completely stops the intake.

Alcohol withdrawal symptoms can range considerably from minor cases of insomnia, anxiety, or agitation to severe cases of delirium tremens, seizures, or hallucination according to the FDA.

In violation of the criminal code of the state of Illinois, Finley and Cardigan were subjected to 20 to 60 years imprisonment in the Sangamon county jail on a $1 million bond each.

During the press conference, Wright said that the workers acted without lawful jurisdiction and they were accused of putting ‘tightened restraints’ on Moore.

The Black Lives Matter Springfield said in a statement that it is heartbroken to know about the senseless killing of Moore and they support the legal action taken against Finley and Cardigan for their inhumane act.

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The statement added that when seeking medical care, among other situations, the black community is frequently subjected to prejudice and bigotry. Co-occurring mental and substance use issues make this worse for such people.

Sadly, this incident highlights the risk to the members of the black community when seeking medical attention and receiving medical care.

On the Facebook post, Moore’s sister wrote after the announcement against Cardigan and Finley that the cause for her brother’s death was carelessness, unsympathetic, unprofessional, “medically trained” personnel.

She remembered that Moore was a kind, funny, caring person with a contagious smile. And he definitely doesn’t deserve this kind of treatment.