Paramedics speak out following ambulance getting hit by bullet
LAWTON, Okla. (KSWO) - On top of the officer involved shooting we told you about that happened last night.
A bullet struck one of Comanche County Memorial Hospital ambulance’s in the same Lawton neighborhood last night in a separate incident.
The bullet hit the top rear of the driver side, went through a supply cabinet, and hit the opposite wall of the ambulance, just inches away from Leif Johnsons’ shoulder.
Prior to the shooting, Johnson and his partner were headed to the hospital after picking up a patient. Just seconds after, they saw a man laying the middle of the road near Northwest 15th and Kingsbury.
The crew then stopped to check on the man, who then mumbled a few words before stumbling in the yard of the house he was at.
“At that point, the homeowner came out with a gun and threatened to shoot the guy if he didn’t get off the yard,” Johnson said. “I told the homeowner to go inside, lock the door. At that point, the assailant took his aggression out on the door, and the homeowner shot through the door, hitting the ambulance, and about four inches from my right shoulder.”
Johnson said everything happened so fast.
“I told my driver to go, and I shut the door. We got down the road and called PD again and notified them that they were shooting. There was no time to be afraid or scared. I’m just glad everybody is okay,” Johnson said.
CCMH Ambulance Manager Jamie Hennessee wasn’t there at the time of the shooting but said she was glad her crew was safe. She said this is the second time her crew has been in an incident similar to this one.
“Just several months ago, we had some crew members, and there were some shots fired in the general direction of our team members. No ambulances were hit, no personnel were hit, so it didn’t make it as real as what we experienced last night and actually seeing the bullet hole in the truck,” Hennessee said.
She wants to remind people to be mindful of their surroundings and think before they act to help keep innocent people safe.
“As medical crew members here in town we are here to help, we’re here to protect. In the event that anybody gets hurt or injured, we want to be there to help them. We want to make sure our crew members don’t feel as if they are being targeted or that they are unsafe while doing these things,” Hennessee added.
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