In April 2023, an elderly Black man came into the emergency room at Ascension Macomb-Oakland Hospital in Warren, Michigan with chest pains. He explained to the staff that he may require some additional privacy or protection, due to his celebrity status as a member of the Four Tops. Hearing this, an ER attendant ordered the man's oxygen to be removed, and for the man to be admitted to a psychological evaluation. When he protested, a security guard told the man to "sit [his] Black ass down," and began to fit him with a straitjacket.
The only problem was: the man, Alexander Morris, was indeed a member of the Four Tops. (Not a founding member, but a member nonetheless.)
From Stat News:
Morris has a significant history of heart problems, including the placement of stents and a defibrillator. He was transported to the emergency room on April 7, 2023, by ambulance and was already receiving oxygen. By the end of his hospitalization, he would be diagnosed with a heart attack that may require a heart transplant and pneumonia. He also suffered three seizures during his hospital stay, per the lawsuit.
[…]
Eventually, Morris' wife showed up and saw what was happening. She told a security guard that he was actually a member of The Four Tops, but the guard allegedly left the restraints on and continued to deny Morris medical treatment. Finally, a nurse came to Morris' side, and Morris asked if he could show her a video of him performing at the Grammy Awards. Realizing he was actually a member of the group, she told the doctor, who said he was canceling the psychological evaluation. Staff removed the straitjacket and placed Morris back on oxygen.
Morris was ultimately restrained for around 90 minutes. After the incident, the hospital offered him a $25 gift card to Meijer supermarkets. Unsatisfied with this token of apology, Morris has since filed a federal lawsuit against the hospital and the staff members involved in the incident.
Four Tops singer's lawsuit says he visited ER for chest pain, ended up in straitjacket [Tara Bannow / Stat News]
