** California medics lock violent patient in ambulance after fracas erupts
** Ohio bill proposes making the killing of a first responder a death penalty crime
UNITED STATES NEWS
** A pair of California paramedics from San Bernadino sustained only minor injuries Saturday after a patient became violent, knocking out an ambulance window with a pair of scissors. That is the word from The Victor Valley News (February 20) which said the 9:44 p.m. Victorville incident played out with medics escaping the EMS unit and locking the patient inside. According to the news service, police pepper sprayed the man after first unsuccessfully attempting to calm him down. He was eventually transported to hospital as a precaution. Both vandalism and assault charges against him are now pending. There is no word on the specific injuries medics in the fracas sustained.
** A new bill put forward in the Ohio legislature would make those who kill a first responder eligible for the death penalty. The Associated Press (February 18) said the potential statute and its associated penalty would also cover murders of firefighters, National Guard members, reservists, and both current and former military personnel. According to the news service, Republican Rep. Dave Greenspan said the goal of the legislation is for it to be a deterrent. Police officer murders are already death penalty crimes.
