A Monroe (NY) Ambulance EMT placed in handcuffs in the emergency department while her patient was on a stretcher says she is “furious” he was not fired, WHEC reports.
EMT Lekia Smith said Investigator Charles LoTempio should not be able to remain on paid suspension until March 2025 and should not be able to collect his pension after he is barred from being a police officer in New York State.
Smith was handcuffed by LoTempio after Smith hit LoTempio’s car door with her ambulance in the parking lot of Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester in 2022. Smith says she was focused on getting care for her patient at the time.
Lotempio followed her inside the hospital, borrowed handcuffs from another police officer, and took her into custody. Smith said she was hurt when LoTempio shoved her against a desk during the arrest and is now in chronic pain. She said she cannot lift more than five pounds and she can no longer properly do her job.
Lotempio had been disciplined twice by RPD before, the news station reported.
The Rochester Police Department moved to fire LoTempio after the incident, but an arbitrator disagreed. The arbitrator said LoTempio was not guilty of the four top internal charges he faced and suggested counseling or retraining.
Smith’s attorney has filed a federal civil lawsuit against the City of Rochester and the Rochester Police Department, according to the report.
