Los Angeles County prosecutors will not file criminal charges against the police officers involved in the now-infamous case of a woman who died after writhing untreated on the floor of Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Hospital, saying the officers tried harder than the hospital's own nurses to get her care.
The county police officers ultimately arrested Edith Isabel Rodriguez, 43, on an outstanding warrant, deciding she would get better medical treatment in jail than at the hospital, Deputy Dist. Atty. Susan Schwartz wrote in a letter Monday to county Sheriff's Capt. James Curtis.
The Sheriff's Department homicide bureau had been investigating the conduct of the county officers because Rodriguez's May 9 death occurred while in their custody.
"The evidence examined in the investigation shows the officers did not act recklessly or in a grossly negligent manner in assisting or arresting Edith Rodriguez," Schwartz wrote. "On the contrary, the officers acted in a compassionate and professional manner by summoning medical assistance for Rodriguez....
"Faced with the nursing staff's refusal to render medical care to Rodriguez, the officers determined that Rodriguez would receive necessary medical care at the Century Regional Detention Center."
No decision has been made about possible charges against hospital staffers involved in the case, including the triage nurse who rebuffed officers' pleas to help Rodriguez.
A King-Harbor security videotape showed Rodriguez writhing for 45 minutes on the floor of the emergency room lobby, and recordings of two 911 calls indicated that witnesses had unsuccessfully pleaded with sheriff's dispatchers for help.
Rodriguez, a California native and mother of three, had sought care at King-Harbor in each of the three days before her death. She had complained of stomach pain and was diagnosed with gallstones. She was given pain medication and released each time.
After her release May 8, Rodriguez did not leave the hospital grounds but instead went to benches in front of the facility. At 12:30 a.m. May 9, two county police officers received a radio call of a "female down yelling for help" at the hospital's front entrance. There they found Rodriguez crying out, appearing to be in great pain.
Rodriguez was taken into the emergency room, where a triage nurse refused to help, according to a police report. Officers wrote that the nurse "did not show any concern" for the woman's wellbeing.
