An attacker smashed the windows of a San Francisco Fire Department ambulance and attempted to run over two paramedics with the vehicle Monday morning, the department announced.
The suspect smashed the vehicle’s windows with a wooden “stake from a tree” around 6:55 a.m. at 1717 Harrison Street, the department reported. The individual then reportedly took control of the vehicle belonging to the two paramedics and attempted to run them over.
The paramedics were not injured, but were “shaken up,” according to San Francisco Firefighters 798, a local union.
“This morning two of our members were attacked by someone who used a stake from a tree, smashing windows and trying to assault them,” the union said. “This is another ambulance out of service and two personnel who are rightfully, shaken up. This behavior in our City is not acceptable.”
Police said the suspect drove into the Best Buy parking lot and circled around before jumping out and escaping over the fence, according to a local NBC affiliate. The suspect has not been caught or identified, according to the fire department. The department described him as a Latin adult male in his 40s wearing a black jacket and brown pants.
The eight-year-old vehicle is now out of service due to the thousands of dollars worth of damage, the department said. Photographs show a crack on the windshield and damage to the passenger-side rearview mirror. The driver’s side window was completely destroyed, and shards of glass can be seen covering the driver’s seat. (RELATED: Anti-Trump Demonstrators Attack Unaccompanied Woman, Shatter Her Windshield [Video])
The local union also said a burglar broke into their union hall last week and caused thousands of dollars in damages. The San Francisco Police Department found and arrested the suspect.
“We have all been patient enough. It’s time for some changes,” the group said.
Last week our own union hall was broken into and ransacked. @SFPD responded and caught the burgler but not before he did thousands of dollars of damage. We have all be patient enough. It’s time for some changes. @SFMayorsOffice @LondonBreed @BrookeJenkinsSF
— San Francisco Firefighters 798 (@SFFFLocal798) August 29, 2022
San Francisco Mayor London Breed called the incident “upsetting” in a statement following the incident.
“This is upsetting when it happens to our residents, visitors and city staff. Our firefighters, paramedics and all first responders work hard every single day – often putting their lives on the line – to ensure the safety of San Franciscans. We take incidents like this seriously and want to thank SFPD for their involvement in these investigations.”