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ROCKLEDGE, Fla. » Prosecutors have reduced charges against a former Florida paramedic charged with flipping a patient off a stretcher.
Police said Paramedic Kenneth Hallenbeck was transporting a 48-year-old patient in February when the patient allegedly refused to get off the stretcher in the triage department. Authorities said Hallenbeck flipped the stretcher, dumping the patient to the floor.
Hallenbeck was charged with elderly/disabled abuse. But prosecutors said this week it’s unclear whether the victim meets the criteria of a disabled adult necessary to support a felony charge, so they dropped it to a misdemeanor to guarantee a quick resolution. Florida Today reports Hallenbeck must also surrender his paramedic license.
He’s scheduled to be sentenced later this month.
