Police: Driver Punches CA Firefighter after Car Extrication

A driver in a single-vehicle crash Monday is accused of punching a firefighter and kicking two police officers after he was pulled from his car.

The accident happened shortly before 7:30 p.m. in Victorville, the Victor Valley News reports. When firefighters arrived at the scene, they found Everette Lawrence Thompson, 32, trapped inside a 2016 Volkswagen Passat, which was rolled over on its side.

Once Thompson was extricated from the car, he punched a firefighter in the face. He then became aggressive with EMS workers and sheriff's deputies.

“As deputies assisted AMR personnel in getting Thompson onto the gurney and into the ambulance so that he could be transported to the hospital for examination after the crash, Thompson became combative," a sheriff's spokeswoman Mara Rodriguez told the Valley News. "He kicked two deputies and attempted to kick other fire and AMR personnel."

Thompson was arrested and charged with battery on emergency personnel and obstructing/resisting, Rodriguez said. She added that alcohol is believed to have been a factor in the crash, and additional charges against Thompson could result.