The officer will be relieved of duty within a few days and then fired. There is no defense although the police department will put up a token one.
More concerning to me is that the police officer took it personally. That's why he later said that he was going to punish the hospital by bringing them the "transients" and taking good patients elsewhere because his other part time job involves driving an ambulance.
Funny thing is that's all bluster. City/county EMS is who brings in transients to the ER. Any 911 or police calls are responded to by city/county EMS. Not private ambulance services. Private ambulance services function only to transport patients from a hospital or care facility (nursing home, rehab) to the hospital or another care facility. As such they have zero say on where they are taking a patient and in fact get in a lot of hot water if they take someone where they are not supposed to, as this constitutes an EMTALA violation.
Good cops, and there are many, would be horrified by his behavior. Truthfully, I think this cop has a screw loose. Which is why he will be relieved of duty and then fired.
Sadly, with the police I know, I haven't found this to be the case. Policing is funded via extorted funds and the "service" is provided without consent of the customer. This renders the job itself illegitimate. I do have great respect for those that speak out against abuses such as these, but the ones that speak out have almost always already quit the "force" after their moral compass returned.
I agree police are funded with extorted funds, but that applies to a good deal of public services. Firemen, paramedics, schools to be sure. But also to the same extent road workers who are paid with public funds, hospitals and doctors who are reimbursed with public funds, certainly all of the military and coast guard, etc etc....
We can't equate being reimbursed with public funds with being morally compromised. The vast majority of individuals involved in the occupations I listed are good people trying to do a good job. And they are horrified when people step beyond the bounds of reason and abuse their power.
Doesn't change the fact that society would be better off if we limited the amount of occupations funded with extorted funds -- we are in agreement there.