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La. man steals ambulance to get to different hospital

A man accused of stealing an ambulance from Baton Rouge General-Mid City led police on a chaotic chase after paramedics refused to take him to another hospital location

By Quinn Coffman
The Advocate

BATON ROUGE, La. — The man who allegedly stole an ambulance on Wednesday from the Mid City location of Baton Rouge General was trying to convince an EMS crew to deliver him to the hospital’s other location on Bluebonnet, according to police records.

When the paramedics denied him, Flordy Washington, 38, took matters into his own hands.

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Shortly before 5:30 a.m. Wednesday, Washington was outside Baton Rouge General-Mid City’s ambulance bay, according to an affidavit for his arrest.

He approached an ambulance crew that was busy taking a patient into the hospital and asked if they would take him to the hospital system’s Bluebonnet location. The EMTs told Washington to hold off for a minute as they dealt with their patient, but that they would come back and help him, according to the affidavit.

The crew locked the ambulance, which was running with the keys inside. However, a fail-safe unlocked the vehicle as the crew went inside the hospital.

Washington then got inside the ambulance, and as he left the hospital, police dispatch received a call about the stolen vehicle and officers were dispatched.

The ambulance was spotted nearly two miles away, at North Foster Drive and Gus Young Avenue, heading northbound on North Foster. Here, officers turned on their lights and started to pursue.

Washington refused to stop and led officers on a circuitous chase, traveling a number of streets, including driving through parking lots and heading the wrong way on Airline Highway and Old Hammond Highway. He also ran two red lights, one of which caused the ambulance to ram two other vehicles.

The ambulance finally came to a stop near a residential cul-de-sac on Elwood Court, at which point officers exited their vehicles and ordered Washington to allow them to handcuff him. Washington again refused, and was shocked with a Taser by officers before being arrested.

He told officers he was tired of walking and wanted to be taken to Baton Rouge General Bluebonnet, according to the affidavit. Washington also told officers that the driver of the ambulance told him to take it.

Washington was booked into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on Wednesday for a host of counts, including: theft of a motor vehicle, aggravated criminal damage to property, aggravated flight from an officer and two red light offenses.

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