A man involved in a west-end traffic crash, Friday morning, allegedly pulled a loaded handgun on emergency crews who responded to the call.
The man was driving a delivery truck along a side road at 161 Street and 111 Avenue when he hit a van just before 10:30 a.m.
A witness CTV News spoke with says the driver of the truck appeared to be delirious and needed assistance, as his foot appeared to be stuck to the accelerator.
Police spokesperson Karen Carlson told CTV News,"when the male driver of the truck was being treated in the back of the ambulance, the paramedics saw a firearm in his waist band but before they could really do anything, the man allegedly grabbed that firearm and pointed it at the paramedics."
Paramedics were unharmed but EMS Chief Joe Acker told CTV News that emergency medical staff are trained to deal with scary and rare incidents such as this one.
"This is the first time that I'm aware of in the city of Edmonton, that a firearm has been pointed at one of our staff, so of course, a very scary situation but, their professionalism and their training kicked in. They did everything right in this situation and I'm glad it had a happy ending," said Acker.
The man fled on foot from the ambulance and within minutes, officers spotted the male walking on 163 Street just north of 111 Avenue.
A high risk arrest occurred and the man was taken into custody. A loaded handgun, holster, and ammunition were seized following the arrest.
The man is in his mid-20s and remains in police custody. Numerous weapons-related charges are pending.
West Division officers continue to investigate the circumstances leading up to the incident.
