Michael Jackson hearing: Paparazzi, fans hampered paramedics from getting stricken pop star to hospital

A paramedic who tried in vain to save Michael Jackson’s life testified Thursday that an unruly crowd of paparazzi and tourists outside the pop star’s home hampered efforts to get to the hospital.

“It’s a circus out there. It’s unbelievable,” recalled Los Angeles City Fire Department paramedic Richard Senneff of the scene outside Jackson’s Holmby Hills mansion June 25, 2009.

The witness testified on the second day of testimony at a hearing to determine whether there is enough evidence to try Dr. Conrad Murray for involuntary manslaughter. Senneff said that the ambulance driver had trouble navigating away from the residence because of a throng that included passengers of a tour bus and photographers with “big cameras, little cameras, video cameras, still cameras.”

At one point, a man with a video camera ran alongside the ambulance holding a camera with a large lens against the window. “It just seemed wrong,” he said. Under questioning by a defense lawyer, Senneff said Murray wanted to put a “central line” to restart Jackson’s heart, but that medics did not have equipment or training to do so. He said the singer did not respond to two rounds of drugs to revive him and hospital officials told him over the radio to “call” Jackson’s death, but that neither he nor Murray wanted to do so. “I said, 'Be advised, this is a very high-profile VIP,' ” Senneff said.

The 50-year-old singer was pronounced dead at UCLA Medical Center. Senneff said rescue workers had gone “above and beyond” the call of duty in the field not because Jackson was a celebrity, but “because it was someone’s son.” Katherine Jackson, the singer’s mother, listened intently in the courtroom gallery. Judge Michael Pastor also heard from a second paramedic who, like Senneff, said that Murray initially claimed he had not given his patient any medication.

Martin Blount said the denial struck him as odd because he saw a hypodermic needle and three bottles of lidocaine in the room. Murray, he said, “scooped up” the bottles and placed them in a bag before they left for the hospital. “Did you ever see those bottles again,” Deputy Dist. Atty. David Walgren asked. “No, sir,” Blount replied. Murray, 57, has pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutors accuse Murray of an “extreme deviation” from the standard of medical care by, among other things, giving Jackson the surgical anesthetic propofol to treat insomnia.

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-- Harriet Ryan

Comments

[Adam Vant]

Michael Jackson died? Wow, first I've heard of it.

[Audra]

You are not reporting the truth! Murray would not call Michael dead at the scene because he wanted to get the EMT's who by the way testified Michael had been dead for awhile. Murray needed time to get rid of the evidence he had the security guard gather up. Michael was already dead and had been way before Murray told the security guard to call 911. You make it sound like there was a chance to save Michael by getting him to the hospital. He was already dead.

[Sisam]

Murray administered the drugs that killed him and is responsible. But Jackson was responsible as well. He had been addicted for years, and had sought doctor after doctor he could manipulate, cajole, and pay off to give him those drugs. Murray was trying to wean him off, unlike other doctors. It wasn't until Jackson demanded "his milk," the propofol, that Murray gave it to him. Yes, Murray is responsible. So is Michael Jackson.

[Stephanie]

@Sisam how do you know that "Michael Jackson was addicted for years?" All he admitted to was a problem with pain medication in 1993. All the rest is speculation. Michael may have turned to medication to help him sleep in the final weeks of his life but you have no basis to make your statements unless however you believe tabloid media.

@Adam Vant comment is lame and not necessary.

@Audra Sadly I think that is true though I commend the paramedics for trying.

[Layne]

Mr. Jackson's history is not the issue here. The question
is did Murray involuntarily cause the death of his one
patient. Murray gave numerous sedatives, then propofol,
in a bedroom, for insomnia, without monitoring; he left
the room and his patient alone, was distracted on the phone
and lied to emergency personnel on scene and at the hospital. And we learn that he attempted to cover up his
actions by hiding and concealing evidence. So, yes, he's
responsible.

One other note: Paramedics are trained in Advanced Rescue
procedures outside a hospital setting. Their scope of
practice does not include placing Central Lines. What that
is is an IV in a large 'central' blood vessel rather than
a smaller, peripheral vessel. ER physicians, some cardiologists and radiologists are examples of specialties
that have training to do that procedure. Therefore, paramedics would not carry the materials needed to place
a Central Line.

The paparazzi's behavior outside Mr. Jackson's home that
day was atrocious. The tour bus was coincidentally there
at the time.

[Karen]

Dr. Murray shouldn't have given Michael Jackson any sleep aids stronger than "hot milk and cookies".

[LeeD]

Agreed, Layne. Michael, for so many reasons, was not very responsible for his own health and safety, but that doesn't excuse Dr. Murray's violation of his professional and ethical responsibilities.

[Laura]

In July 2009, nurse and nutritionist Cherilyn Lee, who worked for Michael Jackson, has come forward saying the pop star begged her give him the drug in the days before he died. He told her he was in extreme discomfort, was desperate for sleep and said that one side of his body was hot and the other side was cold.

She also claimed to overhear Jackson saying, 'Find me an anesthesiologist, I don't care how much money they want, find me an anesthesiologist to be with me here overnight and give me this IV.'"

Ms. Lee told Michael to go to the hospital, he never did.

Although the pay was good, Murray realized the danger of Michael's propofol addiction. He tried a series of other medications to get MJ to sleep and finally succumbed to MJ's request for his "milk".

Murray was out of his league and should be held responsible for negligence but Michael Jackson seemed to always get what he wanted. Life goes on...

[Medivac]

The fans and paparazzi had little or nothing to do with the delay of getting MJ to the hospital whatsoever. The video coverage validates this. It was an incompetent ambulance driver who 1) failed to use the circular turnaround inside the mansion compound, 2) had to make at least 2 attempts at backing out of the driveway (which is illegal in many states) before finally succeeding and 3) failed to use full code 3 lights and sirens before, during and after departure from the home. My question is why didn't they use an air-med helicopter if they knew who the patient was and anticipated large crowds outside the home as well as at the hospital? Even more disturbing is the total lack of law enforcement units at the scene which are nowhere to be found in ANY of the video footage shot that day. Knowing who resides at that address when the 911 call came in, wouldn't you think they would have anticipated crowd issues? My final question is where is all the national media coverage for this preliminary hearing? They are no where to be found either!

[Jagexxx]

I still find it hard to believe that Dr. Murray did not know how to perform CPR. Amazing.