A Virginia Beach (VA) police officer stabbed and shot at two firefighters who responded to a car accident he was involved in Sunday morning, police say.
According to a report on WAVY.com (http://bit.ly/AqQ56q), crews responded early Sunday morning to a report of a car that had gone off the road and crashed into a tree off Route 13. A short while later, police got a call about a fight breaking out at the scene.
Police said firefighters were assisting the driver, Bradley Colas, 23, when he began combative and stabbed two firefighters. The firefighters struck back, and then Colas reportedly reached for a firearm and began shooting at the pair.
Colas allegedly tried to walk away from the scene, gun in hand, but was apprehended by Virginia State Troopers.
The two male firefighters sustained nonlife-threatening injuries.
Firefighters anticipate encountering danger when they respond to incidents, but reports such as these underscore the many unexpected variables you may encounter at incidents. For more on protecting yourself from the human element, consider Free Firefighter/EMT Self-Defense Program Available. For more general training info on situational awareness, consider Situational Awareness: The First Line of Defense , Situational Awareness : Key to Emergency Response, Why Couldn’t They See It? Fireground Situational Awareness , and SITUATIONAL AWARENESS : AVOIDING “THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE”.
