Paramedic: I was viciously assaulted by man I tried to help
Paramedic Paul Turner tells Sky News that assaults have become "the norm" for many emergency service workers.
Thursday 13 September 2018 09:52, UK
A new law will double the maximum jail sentence for assaulting an emergency worker from six to 12 months.
Paramedic Paul Turner, 36, was viciously attacked while on duty after being called to help an injured man in Lancaster city centre.
Here, he tells Sky News why he learnt martial arts to protect himself while on duty.
I've been assaulted several times while working as a paramedic but one incident stands out from the rest because of the violence inflicted.
We received a call about an injured man in his 40s who was intoxicated in Lancaster city centre. It was in the middle of the day.
When we arrived he was sat on a bench with a cut to his body.
He was calm and we had no reason to think anything violent would happen.
We helped him into the back of the ambulance and suddenly he turned aggressive.
I had my back turned when he punched me. I fell forward and crashed to the floor.
As I turned around, I saw the attacker punch my colleague right on the chin and knock him to the ground.
It was a scene of chaos as we tried to restrain him.
My colleague and I were both covered in blood. Thankfully it wasn't ours, it was the attacker's from his original injury.
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My shirt had been torn off during the struggle and was covered in blood.
One of the most upsetting things was that members of the public stood there and filmed it on their phones.
No one tried to help. No one tried to stop it.
I kept thinking: "I could lose my job."
If I restrain him, and it's deemed excessive, then I could potentially lose the job I love.
We had to stay calm and carefully restrained him until the police arrived 10 minutes later.
I'm always on my guard now and I've become a lot more cautious at work.
I watch everybody more closely to make sure it doesn't happen again in the future.
I've even learnt a form of martial arts called Krav Maga so I can defend myself if needed.
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Charges were brought against the attacker and he was brought in front of a magistrate. He got a small fine and a slap on the wrist.
I was quite upset about it. If I went in the street and assaulted someone, I'd probably get the book thrown at me and be locked up.
In the ambulance service - and other emergency services - we go to work and we are assaulted. It's become the norm and it shouldn't be like that.
I go to work to be able to help people, not to be attacked. Being a paramedic is about helping people. It's about trying to save lives.
You see the good and bad in life. It's such a rewarding job and something I've always wanted to do.
I hope the tougher sentences will now be a deterrent to stop these assaults and let us get on with doing our job.
:: Mr Turner is a paramedic and GMB deputy branch secretary at North West Ambulance Service.