Former Salt Lake City police detective Jeff Payne filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against the Salt Lake City Police Department on October 10, 2019, seeking more than $300,000 in damages after he was fired over his 2017 arrest of nurse Alex Wubbels.1Deseret News. Former Detective Who Handcuffed Utah Nurse Sues Salt Lake City Police Department The research available does not contain a reported outcome of the case.
What Payne’s Lawsuit Alleged
The complaint brought four claims: breach of contract, wrongful termination, defamation, and false light publicity. Payne argued he had been fired for following orders from his commanding officer and complying with department policies.1Deseret News. Former Detective Who Handcuffed Utah Nurse Sues Salt Lake City Police Department The suit also contended that the city had released the body camera video prematurely, leaving Payne to absorb public backlash while department leadership avoided blame.2Advisory Board. Officer Fired After Arresting Nurse Says He Was the Scapegoat
Payne’s attorney, Greg Skordas, had previewed the argument in a November 2018 interview, calling the firing “unfair and over the top” and saying Payne would still have a job if the footage had not gone viral.3ABC News. Utah Officer Fired for Handcuffing, Dragging Screaming Nurse From Hospital Skordas also said Payne wanted the chance to apologize to Wubbels: “If he could do this over he would do it over differently.”4KATV. Officer Who Arrested Nurse Would Like to Apologize Alongside the lawsuit, Payne pursued a separate appeal of his termination through the civil service commission.5Fox 13 Salt Lake City. Exclusive Interview With Jeff Payne, Officer Fired After Nurse Alex Wubbels Incident
The Firing Payne Was Challenging
On July 26, 2017, Payne went to the University of Utah Hospital’s burn unit to draw blood from William Gray, an unconscious patient who had been badly burned when a fleeing driver crossed the center line and struck his semi-truck head-on. Gray was not suspected of any wrongdoing.6NBC News. Patient at Center of Utah Nurse’s High-Profile Arrest Over Blood Draw Has Died
Charge nurse Alex Wubbels refused, citing a written hospital policy agreed on with Salt Lake City police: blood could only be drawn from an unconscious patient if the patient was under arrest, officers had a warrant, or the patient had consented. None of those conditions applied.7The Guardian. Utah Nurse Arrested for Refusing to Draw Blood From Unconscious Patient Payne told Wubbels, “We’re done. You’re under arrest,” handcuffed her, and dragged her to a police car. She was released shortly afterward, never booked, and never charged.8University of Utah. U Addresses Wrongful Arrest Blood had already been drawn from Gray as part of his medical treatment, so Payne’s demand was unnecessary from the start.
Payne, a 27-year veteran, was fired by Police Chief Mike Brown in a 17-page decision.9The Heritage Foundation. Detective Who Wrongfully Arrested Nurse Now Fired Brown wrote that Payne had “demonstrated extremely poor professional judgment.” He also found that the Logan Police Department had told Payne it would be acceptable if no blood draw could be obtained, and that Payne had failed to pass that information to his supervisor.5Fox 13 Salt Lake City. Exclusive Interview With Jeff Payne, Officer Fired After Nurse Alex Wubbels Incident That finding cut against the “just following orders” defense at the center of Payne’s later lawsuit.
A federal civil rights review by the FBI and a prosecutors’ criminal investigation were also opened. As of early 2019, the investigation was described as ongoing, and no criminal charges against Payne had been publicly announced.10NBC San Diego. Utah Officer Fired After Nurse’s Arrest Caught on Video11FindLaw. Utah Nurse Gets $500,000 for False Arrest
How the Commission Ruled on the Related Demotion
Lt. James Tracy, the watch commander who directed Payne during the incident, was demoted two ranks to police officer. Chief Brown called Tracy the “catalyst that led to the arrest,” saying he had issued a “completely unreasonable” order and acted “impulsively and without attempting to understand the law or the facts of the situation.” Tracy appealed the discipline as excessive. In April 2019, the Salt Lake City Civil Service Commission ruled against him and upheld the demotion.12The Salt Lake Tribune. Salt Lake City Police Civil Service Commission Upholds Lt. James Tracy’s Demotion That ruling arrived roughly six months before Payne filed his own suit.
Wubbels’ Separate $500,000 Settlement
Payne’s suit should not be confused with the settlement paid to Wubbels. On October 31, 2017, her attorney Karra Porter announced a $500,000 agreement with Salt Lake City and the University of Utah, split between the two.13NPR. Utah Nurse Arrested for Doing Her Job Reaches $500,000 Settlement14The Salt Lake Tribune. Utah Nurse Arrested for Blocking Cop From Drawing Blood From Patient Receives $500,000 Settlement15WESA. Utah Nurse Arrested for Doing Her Job Reaches $500,000 Settlement Wubbels said she planned to use part of the money to help others obtain police body camera footage and to support the Utah Nurses Association and the #EndNurseAbuse campaign.
Payne’s action runs the other direction: a former officer seeking damages from the department that fired him. Whether he obtained any recovery, and on what terms, is not reflected in the available record.