Paramedic bitten on the job, blames Detroit police

DETROIT (FOX 2) - An assault and battery call in Detroit ended with first responders attacked and paramedics pointing the blame at police.

One of the paramedics, Daniel Joseph, who was on that run is off duty from his injuries. 

"Police on scene didn't maintain control of her or the scene," he wrote on Facebook. "This is what happens when police runs continue to get pawned off on EMS."

Detroit police disagreed - and fired back.

"That statement couldn't be further from the truth," said Cmdr. DeShaune Sims, Detroit police. "We were there together; our people were injured just like they were injured."

The allegations stemmed from Monday morning's run to a house on the 16500 block of Washburn. Police say a 17-year-old girl got into a scuffle with her family and they had to talk her down from the roof. 

She became combative when officers and paramedics tried to get her on a gurney.

"This person was in an agitated state and so again they were all involved and so three people were injured as a result of that," Sims said.

The teenage girl bit an EMT and an officer. She also punched another paramedic, forcing police to call for backup. 

"The scene was maintained as well as it could be maintained there," said Capt. Joe L. Tucker. "There were officers on the scene on the onset."
 
"When you have a domestic, you should have more than two officers there," said Mike Nevin of the Detroit Firefighters Association. "You should have more than two EMS medics in a rig. We require three medics in a rig."

Fire union boss Mike Nevin says the mayhem that unfolded Monday is proof Detroit needs to invest more in public safety. He says two other medics were attacked Friday.

"I'm dialing 911 to the public, we need more police, fire and EMS on the streets," Nevin said. "We need to restore our numbers to pre-bankruptcy cuts."

If DPD agrees with the message they're not on board with how it was delivered.

"It is just troubling, for whatever agenda they're trying to work towards," Tucker said. "It's just not fair.
    
Capt. Tucker went so far as to call that Facebook post a breach of trust -- something DPD hopes will not harm the working relationship it has with the fire department.