An Oregon man lost his life in police custody after he was discharged by Providence Milwaukie Hospital's doctors who claimed there was “no medical reason” for him to be there anymore.
The newly released footage shows how police officers got frustrated with the hospital emergency staff who insisted on discharging 26-year-old Jean DesCamps as he appeared to be extremely ill.
“Their mindset there is ‘he is just another tweaker’. It does not matter if they are another f---’n tweaker,” one officer is heard saying following an unsuccessful attempt at CPR.
Milwaukie Police was summoned when DesCamps refused to leave the hospital after the staff discharged him from the emergency room.
The bodycam footage shows that DesCamps was drooling and groaning when officers arrived at the hospital. He remained silent when cops called his name or gave him instructions.
Police made the two hours of footage public after thoroughly reviewing it. However, they hid the identity of those who weren't involved because a large portion of it was shot in the emergency room.
DesCamps was ‘playing possum’ and faking his symptoms: Hospital staff
The video showed a chronology of the police's discomfort and frustration with the medical staff's continuous insistence that there was no medical issue with the patient.
{{/usCountry}}The video showed a chronology of the police's discomfort and frustration with the medical staff's continuous insistence that there was no medical issue with the patient.
{{/usCountry}}“There is no medical reason for him to be here anymore, and it’s all behavioral,” one staff member can be heard telling officers in the clip.
A physician said DesCamps was “playing possum” and faking his symptoms, suggesting that “the cops should just drop him off at a bus stop,” the DA’s memo said.
After consulting with a supervisor, police were unable to decide where to send DesCamps and ultimately opted to take him to Unity Center for Behavioral Health. They affixed handcuffs to his limp wrists and gently placed him in a wheelchair
DesCamps wasn't breathing when the officers reached there. In the wee hours of December 13, 2023, he was declared dead.
“I’ve been saying for years, it’s a matter of time before they refuse to do care and make us do something,” one officer tells an ambulance medic in the footage.
“That guy does not need to be dead right now. Their mindset there is, ‘Oh, it’s just another tweaker.’”
DesCamps' death was ruled to be the result of a drug overdose by the State Medical Examiner's Office.
The police officers were found not guilty of any crimes related to his death, the DA's office said.
Milwaukie Police Department and Providence issue statement
Providence issued a statement after the video was released stating, “In this case, we fell short of our goal of providing safe, reliable, compassionate care to our patient. The Milwaukie Police Department video is difficult to watch, and Providence is committed to doing all we can to learn from this and improve our response to our most vulnerable patients.”
In a statement, Milwaukie Police said: “Through our initial and ongoing review, we see every indication that our Officers were trying to improve Mr. Descamps situation by getting him additional care and treatment.”
Meanwhile, the Oregon Health Authority confirmed to Fox 12 Investigates that they had started a probe into the death. “On Dec. 19, Oregon Health Authority’s Health Care Regulation and Quality Improvement Section initiated an investigation of Providence Milwaukie Medical Center under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) following a Dec. 12, 2023, incident involving a patient in the hospital’s emergency department. The investigation is not yet completed but the hospital was notified of an Immediate Jeopardy situation,” the said in a statement.