I just celebrated my 10th anniversary with American Medical Response. For those of you who are unaware, I am a cross trained dispatcher for AMR. My primary responsibilities include working as an EMT on a 1 to 1 paramedic ambulance (1 EMT to 1 paramedic). About two weeks ago I met a person who should be nominated for a Darwin Award. This bonehead thought it was a good idea to reply to a Sheriff Deputy's request to stop with some gunfire.
Not being the brightest bulb in the box, he figured that he could out shoot a trained law enforcement official. As I am sure you may have already guessed, he ended up on the loosing end of that exchange. The officer was not hit, the suspect was hit twice. As we were arriving on scene, we had to dodge all the black and whites that were swarming the area. I think we had at least 90 percent of the units on duty between Lancaster and Palmdale.
Our patient was found prone by some bushes. He was approximately 19 years old. His wounds included on entry wound to the right lower leg. He also had one entry/exit wound (through and through) to the left flank. Our patient in question got 2 large bore I.V.'s, C-spine precautions, and a helicopter flight to the trauma center. I guess since he was a "gang banger" he could shoot better than a sheriff deputy who has been trained to shoot under pressure.
Due to my lack of a steady partner, I have been detailed into the dispatch center quite a bit. Saturday night we received a request for a traffic collision vs. pedestrian. The crews on scene requested the air squad (helicopter) to respond. Unfortunately due to the severe head trauma, they were unable to secure his airway. The patient was transported by ground ambulance to the local E.R. for stabilization. After the crew cleared the call we heard about the whole incident.
It seems that the patient was actually an armed robber. He had just held up a local liquor store for several hundred dollars and was making his getaway by running across a busy surface street. He didn't get very far, and the Sheriff's Dept. was able to recover the money and the hand gun used in the robbery. Another Darwin award nominee!
Well, I'm in dispatch right now and things are picking up, so I will sign off now.
Remember...Stay Safe!
~Sean
You're right..they both sounded like recipients of a Darwin award. LA sounds like an interesting place!! Be careful!!
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