SWAT Team Raids Colorado Home...Because His Parents Didn't Seek Medical Attention for Their 11-Year Old

[sws4420]

NEW CASTLE, Colo. (AP) — An armed law enforcement team broke down the door of a family home with a battering ram and took an 11-year-old to a hospital after authorities feared he was not getting proper medical care for what turned out to be a minor head injury.

Garfield County's All Hazards Response Team raided the home Friday night, a day after Jon Shiflett fell after grabbing the handle of a moving car. Someone — possibly a neighbor — called paramedics.

Jon's father, Tom Shiflett, 62, told paramedics he didn't want them to treat Jon and asked them to leave. He told them he had served as a medic in Vietnam and he had the skill to treat his son.

Caseworkers who later visited the family reported seeing injuries that included a "huge hematoma" and a sluggish pupil. They went before a judge seeking a search warrant and order for medical treatment, citing affidavits from the ambulance crew.

Following the raid, a doctor recommended Jon be given fluids, Tylenol and ice to treat the bruises, according to a copy of the child's patient aftercare instructions.

"Inappropriate is not nearly strong enough a word. It was gross irresponsibility and stupidity," said Ross Talbott, owner of the Apple Tree Mobile Home Park south of New Castle, who rents to the Shifletts and who witnessed the raid. "Is this Russia? I don't know what we're coming to when they think your kid needs medical help and they send a SWAT team."

Garfield County Director of Social Services Lynn Rennick said her office is legally required to intervene when it receives a report about possible mistreatment of children, and that court orders are sometimes necessary. She wouldn't discuss any specific case.

The child was returned to the family at about 2:30 a.m. Saturday, hours after the raid.

"In all, there was not one shred of evidence found that we had done anything wrong or that Jon had not been properly cared for at home," said Tina Shiflett, Jon's mother.


http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5ir7_SQyuZ7HaWjeK3E61X0nVqpSQD8U1M9580

[MedicCook]

Having the police intervene is not uncommon and in this case may have been appropriate. The extent of having the swat team get involved may have been over doing it. Usually all it takes is street cop to show up and recommend they do what EMS is requesting. As far as him being a medic in Vietnam, that means absolutly nothing as far a being able to tell what is going on inside someones skull.

[Cutesunshine]

This is crazy. This is also what happens when people falsly report things to the cops or CPS... Innocent parents and kind people get their lives disrupted for zero reason.


Why they sent a caseworker back to take a look at a kid medically is confusing to me. Why didnt they send a paramedic back with them, just to give him the once over. Then at least their doing a CMA.

[sws4420]

They made it seem Elian Gonzalez-like.

http://cayankee.blogs.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/08/28/elian.jpg

[Cutesunshine]

We'd have the swat team here constantly with the way Elliot is.

[MedicCook]

You would be amazed home many calls I send Troy Police on for checking the well being of children or to assist CPS with investigations.
I am betting that this parent was extremely aggressive towards anyone and that is what caused the extreme nature. In NYS the laws are very strict when it comes to reporting child abuse/neglect. If a Paramedic was called to evaluate this kid in the begining and the parents refused outright to allow them to at least examine the child the police would be called to the scene to assist or the Paramedic would be on the phone with the child abuse hotline as soon as they left the scene. If they did not do that and something happened to this kid the EMS crew would be held liable for not reporting the incident and could face jail time.

[Cutesunshine]

Yeah, I understand... as a nurse, Im mandated to call too. The article doesnt really touch on how aggressive the guy was. But for a caseworker to label something as a Hematoma and slow pupil reaction... I mean, What gives them the qualifications.

I can see EMS asking Police just to come and assist in making sure they can do a quick Evaluation to see if it's detremental to get the kid treatment. But to have the SWAT team bust down the door to their trailer probably was just as damaging to the kid. Now he'll be made fun of in his trailer park the rest of his life.

I think this could have been handled in a much better manner. Safer for the child, better for the parents. It was gross neglegence on behalf of the police dept to ram someone's door down. Knock on it, serve them with the warrent, take out the 62 year old father (how much of a challenge could that be) and take the kid in appropriately.

[MedicCook]

The time frame of this seems to be all in 1 day which is extremely fast for any kind of CPS and warrant action to be done. I am guessing that this guy was pretty hostile towards EMS and the caseworker to cause this. Maybe the caseworker has medical training also. If CPS tells us that the person they are going to visit have a history of aggression and hostility towards athority it is not uncommon for multiple officers to be there. It is also been my experience that CPS is not usually overly aggressive with these kind of things unless they feel there is a serious problem going on. They usually give the parents the benefit of the doubt.

[Cutesunshine]

We'll have to watch it I guess. If they issue an apology, they acted unreasonably.
A CPS action can happen fast if it needs to. In NY, once you file, the case is supposed to be opened and initiated immediately (within 24 hours) Based on my experience from me calling on my ex husband, I called on a sunday, they were at my house interviewing Dom Monday afternoon, they hooked up with Michael by Thursday... But thats only because I didnt have his phone number or address. I thought that was pretty responsive. They also executed my temp restraining order for Dominick which was pretty nice.

When I had it called on me, 2 reports were filed within 24 hours from each other ( the person who hated me, and supposedly someone from the hospital... long story) It was filed on fathers day... so Sunday. I had a caseworker talking to me neighbors for 2 days prior to ever coming to my door. She came in, looked around... left. A few months later around christmas another complaint was made. Same caseworker was there honestly within 18 hours of the complaint. She wasnt friendly or nice this time. Absolute disaster. I had to have a worker come in at their own will every 3 months till they felt they could drop the case.... All because someone hated me.
The system can really work for you or against you. It has a ton of flaws. While I think the anonymous reporting is good cause people who wouldnt be afraid to call will... people totally take advantage of that shit.

[MedicCook]

I know the mandatory reporter has to be strict because so many cases fell through the cracks.
They respond quickly to investigate but they do not go to the extreme right off the bat. That is why I think this father was hostile to force them to feel that this child may be in danger. To me if a parent does not want medical personal to look at a child with a minor injury it is because they may be hiding something else.

[Cutesunshine]

Could be. But not everyone in the world is all bad either.

I wouldnt let an EMS person check out Cam if I did and I felt he was okay... Only cause his body is all weird and they may jump the gun and cause more issues.

Ell either, I guess...
But I'm a nurse, and I'm not terribly interested in paying an insurance copay if I get stuck going to the hospital for no reason.

Maybe that was this guys problem. Maybe he didnt have insurance.

[MedicCook]

I would say most EMS providers are pretty easy going when it comes to treating kids as long as the parents are up front and not acting suspicous. If you let me examine, and give me a good history of the current problem or injury and answer all my questions about past medical problems and show me that you were competant I would have had no problem letting a parent sign off on the refusal of treament/transport.

[Donna]

I think this could have been handled in a much better manner. Safer for the child, better for the parents. It was gross neglegence on behalf of the police dept to ram someone's door down. Knock on it, serve them with the warrent, take out the 62 year old father (how much of a challenge could that be) and take the kid in appropriately.


:rotflmao: at the comment about taking the dad out..........!!




They made it seem Elian Gonzalez-like.

http://cayankee.blogs.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/08/28/elian.jpg

I'd have to say that was the most annoying, eye rolling news event down here in all my 29 yrs down here. UGH!!!!