Bill addressing nurse’s controversial arrest easily passes
The Utah House has passed a bill addressing the high-profile arrest of a nurse who refused to let a police officer get a blood sample without a warrant.
The bill approved on a 72-0 vote Thursday makes it clear police can only draw blood with a person’s consent, a warrant or an exception approved by a judge. It now moves to the Utah Senate for consideration.
Republican Rep. Craig Hall of West Valley City says electronic warrants can be obtained in about 10 minutes, so there’s no reason not to get one.
Nurse Alex Wubbels was arrested on July 26, 2017 after refusing to let Salt Lake City police Detective Jeff Payne get a sample from an unconscious patient without a warrant.
Body-camera video of Wubbels being dragged outside drew widespread attention online.
