Nurse Whose Violent Arrest Went Viral Reaches Settlement With Salt Lake City

A nurse in Salt Lake City, UT, who was violently manhandled by a detective for refusing to draw blood from an unconscious patient has settled with the city.

Alex Wubbels, a University of Utah Hospital nurse, reached a $500,000 settlement, her attorney Karra Porter said at a press conference on Tuesday. Porter said Wubbels had five goals for the settlement, which had all been met:

“When this whole venture started with Alex Wubbels, she had five goals. First, after this happened, she wanted changes to policy. Second, she wanted to see accountability from those who were involved in the incident. Third, she wanted to start a public discussion, particularly about the urgent need for body cameras. Fourth, I told Alex she should expect to be compensated. And fifth, she wanted to help others – other nurses and other people who have these types of situations happen to them,” said Karra Porter, Wubbels’ attorney. “I can now announce that all five of these goals have been met.”

According to a Fox affiliate in Salt Lake City, Wubbels plans to donate part of her settlement towards funding an initiative for police body cams. Previously, Wubbels cited body cams as the main reason her brutal arrest was corroborated and impactful. “I think I owe it to the body camera footage,” Wubbels said in mid-October. “I truly believe that body cameras are available and should be used for the protection of everyone.”

Video of Wubbels’ arrest went viral at the beginning of September, but the incident transpired in late July. Detective Jeff Payne, who was recently fired, attempted to drag a sobbing Wubbels to his police car after she refused to take a blood sample from a patient without consent or a warrant. The patient was later identified as an off duty police officer who was the victim in a fiery truck crash (the driver who hit the patient died from his injuries).

Payne cuffed Wubbels and dragged her outside the building where she waited in his patrol car for 20 minutes — she was never charged with a crime, however, because she didn’t do anything wrong! The Salt Lake City hospital where Wubbels was arrested has since banned officers from directly interacting with members of its nursing staff.