PORTLAND, Ore. — Two emergency medical technicians were assaulted in North Portland on Sunday night while treating a woman.
The assault happened shortly after midnight on North Interstate Avenue and North Prescott Street.
Officers said the woman being treated punched one of the EMTs, and then a different person rode up on a bike and pepper-sprayed the other medic.
The pepper-spray suspect rode away on a bike and hasn't been found. The woman who punched one of the medics was taken into custody. She was later identified as Tacy Casey. She did not show up to her arraignment court hearing on Monday. There has been a warrant issued for her arrest.
The frequency of incidents is increasing, according to AMR Operations Manager Rob McDonald.
In February, a man stabbed a paramedic waiting at a red light and in March a patient carjacked an ambulance while being transported.
To better prepare medic staff, AMR tolled out a new defense tactic training program which will teach all medics de-escalation techniques and self-defense.
"They want to care or that person in crisis but then to go out and find themselves in situations where they have to defend themselves," said McDonald. "While they're trying to do the right thing - it's really hard and there's a lot of heartache over that."