D.C. Fire Chief Has Doubts About Probe

Internal Inquiry Into Treatment of Slain Reporter 'Like Pulling Teeth'

David E. Rosenbaum, third from right, shown on vacation with his family, was fatally beaten in a robbery Jan. 6. Rescue workers who went to his aid did not recognize the seriousness of his injuries. (Family Photo)

D.C. Fire Chief Adrian H. Thompson said yesterday that he is frustrated by the results of his department's investigation into how emergency medical workers treated a longtime journalist who was fatally beaten during a robbery two months ago.

Weeks after publicly saying that emergency workers "met all standards of care" in their response to the Jan. 6 incident, Thompson said yesterday that he no longer has enough information to make such a judgment.

"It has been like pulling teeth," Thompson said, describing the internal investigation into how workers cared for David E. Rosenbaum, 63, a New York Times reporter.

"There are a lot of unanswered questions," Thompson said. "I want to make sure we are doing proper care and patient assessments. If there was something done wrong, I want to get to the bottom of it."

Thompson issued a news release five days after the incident that stated "our operational review indicates that appropriate measures were taken" and that "everything possible was done to attend" to Rosenbaum.

The statement came as fire officials were being criticized by community leaders after revelations that emergency workers thought Rosenbaum was drunk, not the victim of an assault suffering from a severe head injury. It took more than 20 minutes for an ambulance to arrive.

Thompson said he is looking forward to the results of a D.C. inspector general investigation, which was launched two weeks after the attack. A report should be released in coming months, officials have said.

Rosenbaum's brother, Marcus, said yesterday that he, too, welcomed the inspector general's investigation.

"I can only say that I agree with Chief Thompson that I hope they get to the bottom of this," Marcus Rosenbaum said. "Clearly, everybody didn't do the right thing."

Rosenbaum was taking an after-dinner walk near his Northwest Washington home just after 9 p.m. when he was beaten with a metal pipe and robbed of his wallet in the 3800 block of Gramercy Street NW, police said. He died two days later, and two men have been arrested and charged with first-degree murder in his death. They are being held pending trial.

Firefighters on a fire engine, who double as emergency medical workers, arrived within five minutes of being dispatched in response to a report of a man in medical distress. Rosenbaum was found on the sidewalk, disoriented, and firefighters smelled alcohol on his breath, officials said.

An ambulance crew arrived 18 minutes later and also treated Rosenbaum as if he were a drunk case, records show.