The State Attorney’s Office has released video of an incident that led to the firing of a Brevard County firefighter and paramedic.
Kenneth Hallenbeck, 35, was fired from his job in March after he was seen on video throwing cancer patient James Slater, 49, onto an emergency room floor.
Slater said he refused to leave the stretcher because no beds were available after Hallenbeck wheeled him into the Weustoff Medical Center in Rockledge, and Hallenbeck lost his temper.
“He started screaming and then grabbed the gurney and picked it up and threw me on the floor. That's when the guy behind the counter said, 'You need to go call your boss, I have to call the police department,'” Slater said.
Hallenbeck was initially charged with abuse of the elderly or disabled, which is a felony, but the charge was reduced to a misdemeanor.
The state’s attorney’s office said Slater’s medical condition, which remained confidential, did not necessarily qualify him as a disabled adult.
Hallenbeck hasn’t publicly commented on the incident, but is scheduled for a plea hearing this month.
Slater said he has obtained a private attorney and the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida is reviewing his case.
In the meantime, Slater said, he isn’t happy the charges were downgraded.
