KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A 40-year-old Kansas City, Missouri man is charged after a Kansas City Fire Department (KCFD) paramedic was injured last Friday.
Jackson County prosecutor’s charged Antonio Lee Jones with third-degree assault – special victim.
According to court documents, just before 9:50 a.m. on Friday, June 20, Kansas City police officers responded to the area of 29th and Broadway on a reported patient fighting with a KCFD EMS crew.
When officers arrived on scene, they located Jones and the EMS crew in the back of the ambulance. Officers attempted to place Jones into custody and he began resisting. He then started saying he was not going to the hospital or jail and that someone was trying to get him, according to court documents.
Court documents say while attempting to take Jones into custody, he bit a paramedic on the left side of his stomach, right above the waist line. Jones was then placed in custody and taken to Truman Medical Center for his initial medical complaints of hallucinations and paranoia.
A KCFD paramedic stated his crew had been called for a mental health evaluation. When his crew arrived they picked up Jones, who according to their records, had been seen 10 times in the last 90 days by KCFD, according to court documents.
Court documents say KCFD attempted to take Jones to North Kansas City Hospital as he began to get increasingly paranoid claiming that there was another person in the ambulance trying to kill him. He removed his seatbelt and stood up in the area of 29th and Broadway and began requesting that police respond.
When KCPD officers arrived, court documents say Jones became even more agitated and became combative. Officers took Jones to the ground and attempted to assist. During that time, one paramedic felt a pressure on his lower back which increased to a sharp burning pain. He realized Jones was biting him and struck out at him. Court documents say the paramedic was unsure if he made contact with Jones but Jones stopped biting him. A large circular bite wound was visible on the lower left side of the paramedic’s back, which was bleeding and the skin clearly broken.
Court documents say the entire incident was captured on body-worn camera and in-car video.
Jones is scheduled to appear in court on July 1 at 9:30 a.m. for a bond review hearing.
On Friday, KCFD Battalion Chief Riley Noland said the incident was concerning, especially after the death of KCFD paramedic Graham Hoffman just weeks ago. Hoffman was killed in the line of duty—after a patient he was transporting stabbed him to death.
