AKRON, Ohio — A woman was indicted on two felony charges after allegedly assaulting an Akron paramedic on March 28.
Kevelyn Evans was charged with assault and aggravated possession of drugs.
Paramedics showed up at a senior high-rise apartment building on Byers Avenue just after midnight on a medical call for a man. They determined it was a Code 1, meaning the patient did not require an ambulance transport.
President of Akron Firefighters Association Local 330, Kevin Gostkowski, said a Code 1 accounts for 25% of Akron's fire calls, including cases such as minor illness, normal vitals or medical necessity.
"There are times where we evaluate people and it's just not a medical emergency to tie up an ambulance and two paramedics to transport you to a hospital," Gostkowski said.
According to investigators, family members of the man showed up, became angry that the patient wasn't being taken to a hospital, and followed the paramedic outside.
Then, Gostkowski said that's when one of the paramedics was punched in the face while he was sitting in an ambulance.
"One of the family members began recording on a cell phone and then came over and opened the driver's side door, struck our paramedic with a closed fist in the eye. He ended up with some bruising and a swollen eye."
Akron Police Lt. Michael Murphy called it a "hostile situation" that first responders shouldn't have to deal with.
"It's part of the job and some of the risks that we take as police officers, but for a paramedic to be assaulted, I think that's completely different," Murphy said.
In addition to the crime's concerning nature, police said the incident also tied up resources. The paramedics initially were unable to respond to other calls, and several police officers responded to investigate.
Gostkowski said he's grateful the paramedic wasn't more seriously injured and that criminal charges were filed.
"And hopefully this sends a message to the general public that you just cannot assault safety forces," he said.
When asked what the paramedic wanted Gostkowski to say on his behalf, Gostkowski said, "I think he wants to say that he just doesn't want to be assaulted again."
The Akron Fire Department released a statement in response to the situation:
Summit County Prosecutor Elliot Kolkovich also released a statement regarding the incident.
Paramedics and EMTs work in urgent and high-pressure situations, assessing critical medical needs of patients and providing life-saving care. Our paramedics in Summit County are highly trained emergency medical professionals, and they should be able to focus on their patients, administering care, and responding to additional calls without distraction or fear.
Bob Jones is the Summit, Stark and Tuscarawas counties reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow him on X @BobjonesTV, or email him at BJones@wews.com.
