Ambulance Worker Threatened With Imitation Firearm

A man has been charged after threatening an ambulance worker with an imitation firearm.

The crew were responding to reports of a sudden death in east Belfast at around 8pm on Thursday, 16 November.

After arriving at the scene, they discovered that the call was bogus.

A spokesperson from the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) said: "They were met by a male person and after a short time found a female in another room. The male then left the premises and returned a short time later, brandishing the imitation firearm in a threatening manner towards the crew.

"One crew member was able to disarm the male and called for assistance from PSNI who arrived promptly and arrested the individual. The member of staff who disarmed the assailant suffered a back injury in so doing.

"This is the latest in a series of incidents involving attacks, or threats of attack, on our crews and this particular one was a lot more sinister in nature with the call being bogus and an imitation firearm being produced.

"Given the circumstances involved in this incident, NIAS would reiterate its call that anyone involved in any type of assault on our crews should face the full rigours of the law, especially if they have been called to a scene under false pretences. Our staff are there to provide help to the helpless and to remove fear from the fearful and yet all too often they are being faced with situations which are becoming more serious in nature."

(CD)