Sometimes it is hard to explain the reactions some people have to emergency personnel. Some are happy and grateful for the assistance, and others react with fear. One man in Tennessee is accused of assaulting police and firefighters as they tried to help him. The man is now facing drunk driving and other serious criminal charges as a result of his actions.
Police and firefighters responded to a complaint that someone was unconscious in a parked vehicle. When they arrived at the scene, they found a 45-year-old man passed out behind the wheel of his car. When firefighters approached the vehicle, the man allegedly woke up, put the car into reverse and accelerated. The speeding car apparently just missed hitting the police and rescue workers who were standing behind it.
As the man drove off, police say the vehicle struck one of their cruisers and damaged it. The man fled the scene, but police located him a short time later. They reported that he was, once again, asleep in his car. Police say he confessed that he had been drinking and smoking marijuana.
In addition to drunk driving, Tennessee police have charged the man with nine counts of aggravated assault. He also faces charges of resisting arrest, leaving the scene of a crash and vandalism for the damage to the police car. The aggravated assault complaints certainly place the man’s future in jeopardy. In addition to dealing with the DUI charge, his attorney may focus on having these counts reduced or dismissed.
Source: wkrn.com, “Police: Man tries to run down first responders trying to help him“, Brett Martin, Nov. 20, 2016
