By Bill Carey
EMS1
HOUSTON — Houston firefighters are recovering from injuries after jumping off an apartment balcony when a patient they were treating pointed a firearm at them.
Firefighters responded to a call for a man having seizures on Jan. 27, at the Ashford Buena Vista Apartments, KTRK reported.
The Houston Police Department stated the patient, a 23-year-old man, was acting confused and asked the firefighters if he could retrieve a shirt from his room. He reportedly returned with a weapon described as a loaded firearm and pointed it at the firefighters.
“He went to get something out of his room, still confused,” Houston Mayor John Whitmire told KHOU. “They heard the pistol being cocked and they ran for their lives which included jumping out of a second-story balcony.”
[RELATED: Assume the best of your patients and prepare for the worst]
One firefighter suffered a broken scapula and the other had cuts and bruises. Both were treated and released from a hospital on Jan. 28.
Authorities said the man is being charged with two counts of assault on a public servant.