Georgia police ID comatose suspect by fingerprints (Link Inactive)
More info here (SavannahNow.com)
It looks like the comatose man is a suspect in a crime which (I guess) goes part way to explaining why his family wouldn't ID him. I don't know the law, but can you ID someone to doctors and not the police? It would seem to be extremely risky to the patient's health to withhold critical information, such as medical records which contain identifying information, from the doctors charged with the patient's care.
Stripped of the criminal context, this case is useful in pointing out that there are situations where caregivers and civil servants come into contact with people who are unable to identify themselves. There are many ways various biometric modalities can be used to help.
