Department officials are reconsidering how it handles emergency medical responses after an Indiana firefighter was stabbed in the face over the weekend.
The Evansville Fire Department was called Saturday to a residence concerning a man who wasn't breathing. When crews reached the scene, they heard a "very disturbing scream" coming from inside and then announced their presence before entering.
A man with a large butcher-style knife attacked and stabbed a firefighter near his nose, according to police documents. The man then continued rushing out the door toward the firefighter and tried to stab him again.
The firefighter avoided the man, who was then brought to the ground. Firefighters at the scene then kept the man subdued until police reached the scene.
"In my 29 years I am not aware of anything even remotely close to someone that we are coming to help attack us," Division Fire Chief Mike Larson told WEVV-TV.
The man—who had been giving two Narcan does from his girlfriend because he had turned blue and wasn't responding to CPR—was taken into custody and faces a battery charge.
The incident now has the Evansville Fire Department reexamining how it handles these types of emergencies. Although no specific changes have been proposed, Larson said it's a balancing act of keeping firefighters safe while helping the public
"Somebody could pay the price because our firefighters have to be more cautious now," Larson said. "Now because of this particular incident and the incidents happening across the country our firefighters are going to have to approach the doors a little more cautiously."
Despite the incident, the firefighter returned to duty two hours after being stabbed, but he is still recuperating from his injury, according to WEVV.
