Daily danger to Everett Firefighters goes far beyond burning buildings…
An 42-year-old man is being held in the Snohomish County jail on $15,000.00 bail after being arrested for biting off the fingertip of an Everett Firefighter yesterday morning. According to probable cause papers filed with the court the man was yelling and screaming at various locations in north Everett. After dealing with the man a couple of times, Everett Police received a third call around 8:30 AM that he was in the 2200 block of Lombard.The man was reportedly yelling at a woman and raising his arms. An Everett Police officer wrote in his report that he was afraid the man was about to assault the woman. When a back-up officer arrived the two handcuffed the man and tired to get him to a patrol car to take him to the hospital for a mental evaluation. The man continued to struggle so officers called for fire department help to transport the man to the hospital.
The reporting officer wrote that they struggled to hold the man on the ground. The man reportedly kicked at officers several times making contact at least once. Firefighters from the Everett Fire Department arrived along with an ambulance for transport. The man reportedly continued to yell and sputter so a spit hood was placed over his head. While ambulance crews worked on strapping the man to the stretcher for transport, firefighters were helping to hold the man in place. The arresting officer wrote that while the man was being put on the strecther one of the firefighters yelled and said the man had just bit his finger off. The officer saw the bone was showing and the tip of the firefighter’s finger could be seen on the ground still inside his blue protective glove. The officer wrote that he saw blood sprayed on the spit hood the suspect was wearing as well.
Both the man experiencing the mental health issue and the firefighter were taken separately to Providence Regional Medical Center. According to the probable cause papers, the firefighter’s fingertip could not be re-attached. The firefighter was later released from the hospital.
Meanwhile, the 42-year-old man was evaluated by doctors at the hospital and then released to Everett Police. He was then booked into the Snohomish County Jail on suspicion of 3rd degree assault for kicking the police officers and 2nd degree assault for biting off the firefighter’s fingertip.
Everett Fire Marshal Eric Hicks tells MyEverettNews.com, Everett Firefighters face multiple hazards every day and not just from running into burning buildings. “We’ve had firefighters stuck with needles and injured lifting and moving patients,” said Hicks. “Our crews face a number of dangers apart from fighting fires, especially exposure to bodily fluids.” Hicks said the firefighter’s injury should not be career-ending but is considered serious and he will need a doctor’s clearance to return to duty.
Today a judge ruled there was probable cause to hold the 42-year-old man for second degree assault for injuries to the firefighter and third degree assault for kicking the police officers. The man’s defense attorney tried to argue that there wasn’t probable cause for second degree assault on the firefighter as the man didn’t intend to bite the fingertip off. The judge disagreed and set bail at $15,000.00. The Prosecutor now has until September 7th to file formal charges or release the man from jail.
September 2, 2016
Everett, Everett Fire, Police Blotter