Justice for Earl Moore!

On the night of December 18, 2022 police was dispatched to a residence in Springfield, Illinois. According to a news release from the Springfield Police Department officers on scene requested medical for someone having hallucinations from alcohol withdrawal. That someone was 35 year old Mr. Earl L. Moore Jr. Before going any further with this story it is imperative we all understand what alcohol withdrawal is. Medlineplus.gov states alcohol withdrawal refers to symptoms that may occur when a person who has been drinking too much alcohol on a regular basis suddenly stops drinking alcohol. Some common symptoms include anxiety, depression and fatigue. There is a severe form of alcohol withdrawals called Delirium Tremens which can cause agitation, seizures and yes even hallucinations. So officers on scene was requesting medical for a gentlemen who was having a true medical emergency.

The police body cam footage that was release is very disturbing. The footage shows 44 year old Peggy Finley a paramedic for Lifestar Ambulance Service yelling at Moore to get up and walk to the ambulance. Moore is clearly unable to process anything that is happening at the moment. You can hear Finley say and I quote "You're gonna have to walk cause we ain't carrying you." and I am seriously not in the mood for this dumb sh*t. She continued to talk to Moore this way through out their interactions. This infuriated me so much because coming from a person who works in EMS as well. We are called for citizens who are in need of help and most likely having the worst day of their life. Not everyone can be a first responder. Are patients sometimes difficult, yes but we still care for them and get them the help they need. In the body camera footage you can see the two police officer were being more of an help than the paramedics, has they were helping get Moore out of the house to the stretcher. 50 year old Peter Cadigan a paramedic for Lifestar Ambulance Service as well can be seen helping place Moore on the stretcher face down in a prone position. According to the Springfield Police Department news release they were notified Moore died after arriving at the hospital. According to the coroner Moore died from "compressional and positional asphyxia due to prone facedown restraint on a paramedic cot/stretcher by tightened straps across back and lower body in the setting of lethargy and underlying chronic alcoholism. Moore was clearly suffering from a chronic condition. The very people who job it was to come and treat failed to give him proper pre-hospital medical care which resulted in the loss of his life. 

CNN reported, court documents show both Finley and Cadigan were arrested on January 9, 2023 and charged with 1st degree murder. Both are being help at the Sangamon County Detention Center in Springfield, IL., on a one million dollar bond each. Court records show both were scheduled to be in court on January 19. News sources has reached out to Lifestar Ambulance, who declined to comment on the case pending an ongoing investigation. 

Here is a link to some of the video footage provided by Inside Edition: https://youtu.be/IgfCb5pYeLA