Overdose victim tries to shoot first responders who saved him, O’Fallon, Mo., fire chief says
ST. CHARLES COUNTY • An overdose victim tried to kill the first responders who had just saved his life Monday, according to the O’Fallon Fire Protection District.
Two O’Fallon, Mo., firefighters and a St. Charles County Ambulance District paramedic went to a man’s home about 10 a.m. Monday, O’Fallon Fire Chief Tom Vineyard said.
They found the man unresponsive in a bedroom and gave him a dose of Narcan, which reverses the effects of opiates. When the man regained consciousness, he rolled onto his side and the paramedic saw him reach for something between his mattress and box spring, Vineyard said.
The paramedic yelled, “Gun!” and one of the firefighters pinned the man’s arm down between the bed and the wall as the other firefighter tried to get the patient to release the gun. During the struggle, one shot was fired into the wall of the home, Vineyard said.
“It was pretty unnerving to say the least,” Vineyard said. “We want people to know the dangers we face on a daily basis. Sometimes what seems to be a routine call turns out to be anything but routine.”
Vineyard said he sent the firefighters home for the rest of the day after the incident.
“They were in no frame of mind to get back on a firetruck,” he said.
Vineyard said the shooting Monday of a firefighter/paramedic in Dallas also affected his staff.
“I think it’s important for people to know this type of stuff is happening in their own backyards, too,” Vineyard said.