WASHINGTON — A D.C. man suffering from gunshot wounds had to wait nearly 30 minutes before an ambulance arrived to transport him to the hospital Wednesday.
Fox5DC.com reported the man was involved in an argument that escalated into violence and shots were fired. About 70 police officers heard the gunshots and were on scene within minutes. Firefighters also responded to the call, but no ambulances arrived to transport the victim.
“We could have put him in a car and took him,” a witness said. “That’s how long it took them to come.”
Crews performed chest compressions on the man while waiting for an ambulance. Officers tried placing him into the back of a cruiser to transport him, but were unsuccessful.
“He couldn’t fit,” the witness said. “He was too big. That’s how bad it was.”
After nearly 30 minutes had passed, there was a call to air transport the victim. A helicopter had to land a block away in an open parking lot. Seven people helped carry the victim down the block to the helicopter. As they were walking, an ambulance arrived on scene.
The victim is currently in critical condition.