EMT BREAK IN causes gun fire

[MOUNTAINORACLE]

http://www.wpxi.com/news/28036415/detail.html


Unexpected EMT Visit Prompts Wilkinsburg Man To Fire Gun


PITTSBURGH -- Authorities say an elderly man pointed a gun at an ambulance crew then fired a shot into the ceiling after the medics entered the wrong apartment while responding to a call in Wilkinsburg.

Channel 11 News reporter Renee Kaminski spoke to the man who said he thought someone was trying to break into his home.

"There were two big, husky men. I no sooner got down the hall and they were standing in my living room," said Charles Honesty.

The EMS supervisor said a manager led the crew to a door in the Wilkinsburg apartment building and the medics forced their way in after repeatedly knocking on the door and getting no response.

The 85-year-old resident grabbed a handgun and fired one shot into the ceiling, prompting one medic to flee and call police.

"That was my warning shot. The next one was going into him," Honesty said.

Investigators say the man is hard of hearing and couldn't understand the medics' explanation.

No injuries were reported and police say no charges will be filed against the resident. Medics soon located the correct apartment and took the patient to the hospital.

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I figure I will flamed on this post but so be it, too many people are using their positions/jobs as an excuse to break & enter and if they claim we made a mistake the inconnect are the only ones that suffer.

It was bad enough with the police & no knock warrants entering the wrong residences/apartments and injuring/killing law abiding citizens or their pets; and walking away without being prosecuted or removed from the job.

Now, the EMTs are breaking in. This is BS!! I know they are tiring to help but they also must understand there can be problems with breaking & entering. They should be prosecuted when break into the wrong residence.

To bad the elderly man only fired a warning shot into the ceiling. He should have been aiming at and emptied his firearm into the two big, husky men who broke his door & and were standing in his living room.

The EMs supervisor who WASN'T at the building, but can start what happened at the apartment BS!!!, said the manager led the crew to the apartment door & admitted that his employees forced their way into the residence after repeatedly knocking on the door & getting no response.

I DOUBT THEY REPEATEDLY KNOCKED and find it strange that the manager didn't use the PASS KEY.

IMHO this is BS and they broke into the man's residence & should be charged and prosecuted criminally & then taken sued to the max.

You cannot fault the resident for anything other than:

1) Being an old fart/85 years old
2) Firing a warning shot instead of firing center mass
3) Not firing until they were the threat was down or out the door
3) Being hard of hearing--manager would know this

[FFEMT128]

Not defending any actions on any party involved, but I can say that they likely had permission of from the correct caller who required EMS to force entry if needed. I do not know of any EMS agency that will force entry without 1) permission from the caller 2) without PD being present and then usually it is PD who will force entry based on the situation.

Don't be so fast to judge EMS workers who are only doing their job, it is not like they randomly picked a door and kicked it in. Dispatchers likely gave the wrong apartment number and were still on the phone with the caller when the door was breached. Before passing judgement, I think the entire call would need to be reviewed to determine where the mix up was.

IMHO everyone is lucky that no-one was killed.

[nycems22]

I would like to know what the call came in as. I worked EMS for New York City for 6 years, and this is BS. We never forced entry without PD, and I can Only see it as an option if the crew could actual see someone in Obvious Immanent danger or if there was a fire. Even with PD on scene, we would do our best to confirm the call and location before breaking in.

[wishIhada5.0]

Im not so worried about the EMS nearly as much as I am impressed with the older gentleman....he had the calm of mind to think it through which is impressive for anyone lol

[kpa57]

i hope no one lived above him

[kevindsingleton]

i hope no one lived above him

If they did, they don't, any more!

[knight0334]

Accident entrances do happen from time to time. Utility workers, contractors, and first responders do it occasionally. None of which has any ill intent.. ..which is why we shouldn't just shoot someone just because they entered your home. Give them a chance to retreat if you can.. A true act of unlawful entry with ill intent will often have other indications present.

[YosemiteSam]

Accident entrances do happen from time to time. Utility workers, contractors, and first responders do it occasionally. None of which has any ill intent.. ..which is why we shouldn't just shoot someone just because they entered your home. Give them a chance to retreat if you can.. A true act of unlawful entry with ill intent will often have other indications present.

How many have busted down the door to get in?

[bcpistolshooter]

Saw this last night, that old man was not playing around. Never heard of EMT's busting down a door but I bet these two will give it a second thought in the future!

[FromMyColdDeadHands]

As a current EMS provider I can say I ALWAYS ensure that I have the correct address if forcible entry is needed, generally we wait for the police though I have entered homes under certain circumstances without the police present (usually if I can see someone on the floor not responding or if I can talk to them through the door and they simply can't get to the door). It is entirely possible they were given the wrong information by dispatch, it happens, it is also entirely possible that they themselves made the mistake of misidentifying the location of their dispatch.

I'm glad no one got hurt, also glad they are not charging the elderly gentleman. Under PA law (and alot of other states) simple assault automatically is upgraded from misdemeanor to felony if you assault on duty cop, ff, ems worker. Not saying its right as I don't believe it is but that is the way the law is currently written and it does tend to get applied broadly.

The issue with forcing entry is that its easy to be damned if you do and damned if you don't. Imagine that I am dispatched to xyz easy street and on arrival the place appears ok, can't see anyone from the exterior windows and no one answers the door (especially if it comes in via medical alarm company) so we say ok looks good and leave, then family comes home, finds someone sick, injured or dead...well reality is I COULD be liable if someone suffers ill effects from my decision.

It IS a case by case decision, I try not to utilize forceful entry unless I am 100% sure it is needed or there is no other way in (apartment manager/repair man, hidden key, family/neighbor with key, unlocked window etc...).

All in all in this case i'm glad no one was hurt...unfortunately in our society liability has conflicted with property rights, to say nothing of what the public expectation of service is regarding emergency services. Its a shame but people view emergency services as something we couldn't live without, alot of people no longer have any concept of helping themselves even to something as simply as OTC medications. They rely on others in emergency services to "take care" of them. Its that mentality that is both caused and aids the growth of government services at all levels, maybe someday it will change.