Charleston County EMS is facing a federal lawsuit alleging negligence, assault and battery, and violations of constitutional rights in relation to their use of ketamine during paramedic arrests. The lawsuit comes after a series of legal battles concerning the controversial use of the drug.
According to the complaint, Randy Botten stopped breathing after being injected twice with ketamine by paramedics. The injections were administered not for medical reasons, but to further restrain Botten, who was already bound by his feet, hands, and chest. The lawsuit argues that these injections violated Botten’s constitutional rights.
They [ketamine injections] are used solely for behavioral control. It has nothing to do with medical treatment, stated civil rights attorney Dan Boles.
Botten was eventually intubated and revived in the hospital. His case was filed in U.S. District Court shortly after the county settled another lawsuit involving ketamine for $1.1 million. The previous case involved the death of James Britt, who died two weeks after being injected with ketamine during a roadside arrest in Mount Pleasant.
The attorney representing Botten argues that Britt’s death could have been prevented if the county’s EMS had followed up on patients who had been given ketamine in the past. However, the attorney claims that once patients are out of the ambulance, there is no tracking of their condition.
The county has declined to comment on the pending litigation but maintains that its use of ketamine in behavioral emergencies complies with medical guidelines. The use of ketamine has decreased in recent years, with 64 people receiving injections in 2020, compared to just five in 2022.
Ketamine is an anesthetic commonly used in medical and veterinary settings but is also abused as an illicit drug for its hallucinogenic effects. The state of South Carolina previously considered banning the use of ketamine to incapacitate criminal suspects but the bill did not progress.
The lawsuits allege a pattern of abuse and overuse of ketamine by Charleston County EMS, leading to serious health complications and even death. The attorney representing the plaintiffs is seeking to compel the county to release documents that would establish this alleged pattern of abuse.
As these lawsuits continue, questions are being raised about the appropriate use of ketamine during paramedic arrests and whether better protocols and monitoring should be implemented to ensure the safety and well-being of individuals involved.
