EMT who survived attack: 'The guy just turned on us'

Considering what Alfredo Rojas has been through, he is doing remarkably well.

The EMT has only been on the job a couple of years and even after this violent attack he's still committed to the job.

"Working in Detroit, you kind of know what you sign up for," Rojas said. "You never expect this to happen."

Alfredo Rojas is home from the hospital recovering with his family now, but he's still pretty shaken up after what happened early Tuesday morning.

He and his partner Kelly Adams were responding to a call on Detroit's southwest side of a woman, who injured her ankle at Third Street and Martin Luther King.

Then all of sudden the man she was with, went ballistic.

"The guy just turned on us," Rojas said. "Initially he and I started fighting but my partner came out to help me out to help he pulled a knife on her."

Both Rojas and Adams were stabbed and slashed multiple times as they worked to fend off suspect Michael Montgomery, who was wielding a box cutter.

"The adrenaline just kicks in," Rojas said. "I kicked him, punched him, my partner came in and helped me out with that too. (We) just tried to step back away from it. Eventually (he) ran off.

"I saw she was bleeding badly, I looked down at my hand and I was bleeding pretty badly."

Although the injured EMTS could hear on the radio that help was on the way, Rojas felt they couldn't take any chances. Bleeding badly, they decided to drive themselves to Detroit Receiving Hospital.

The 26-year-old was cut on the face and under the eye. He suffered nerve and tendon damage on his right hand and had to get multiple stitches on both.

"I'm very grateful," Rojas said. "The doctor said I came within millimeters of losing an eye. It sucks that this happened but I'm glad it wasn't any worse than this."

Detroit police were able to identify and track down the suspect Michael Montgomery less than 24 hours after this stabbing attack.

Coincidentally Montgomery happened to be with the woman the EMTs initially came to assist. She was also taken into custody.

Rojas says this violent attack on the job isn't going to stop him from doing his job. Once he recovers, he plans to return to Detroit EMS.

He'll be ready, just more aware.

"We just have to be more vigilant in what we do," he said.

It was not the first time the EMT crew had been attacked on the job. Rojas said the attack is a reminder to be vigilant .

He also said he thanks the Detroit police for their hard work and will be resting easier with Montgomery behind bars.