Man accused of assaulting 2 medics in Downtown Pittsburgh
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A Pittsburgh man is behind bars after police said he assaulted two medics.
Mark Nixon was arrested on Tuesday after police said he became violent with EMS workers who were taking him to the hospital. The incident happened at the intersection of Third Avenue and Wood Street in Downtown Pittsburgh.
According to police paperwork, the 45-year-old was passed out on the sidewalk from a suspected overdose. Police said that after two passers-by administered two doses of Narcan, Nixon started waking up and agreed to go to the hospital.
When the ambulance began pulling away from the scene, police said that's when Nixon became violent.
"It's just a very unfortunate and sad reality. This is just the world that we live in," said Amera Gilchrist, chief of Pittsburgh EMS. "We're there to help the public. So, it's very disturbing."
According to police paperwork, Nixon tried punching one of the medics before he grabbed the other by the throat and began choking him.
Gilchrist said this wasn't the only incident in Pittsburgh on Tuesday where a medic was attacked. Earlier in the day, Gilchrist said two other medics were assaulted while responding to another call.
The Fraternal Association of Professional Paramedics called the incidents a "sad reality" of the job.
In a post on Facebook, it said, "This is one example of many that highlight just how dangerous our work is, particularly when caring for patients who are under the influence of drugs/alcohol. These patients may become aggressive, violent, and unpredictable."
"I know that as a public official, I'm always listening to my radio and I often hear the medics calling for police," Gilchrist said. "We're there to help you. We're not there to do anything except help you."
She said first responders take the trauma home with them and ask the public to remember that they are working to help you.
"The medics that unfortunately were assaulted, even though the scars may not be so visible, they are mental, and those are things that they're going to carry for years down the road," Gilchrist said.
Nixon was charged with two felony counts of aggravated assault, strangulation, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness.
According to police paperwork, Nixon told officers once he was at the hospital that the medics attacked him first.
