The paramedic and EMTs who treated an Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officer and a man shot by police said their training kicked in as soon as the shots were fired.
Paramedic Steve Bruner and EMTs Breann Wilber and Bria McKissack were called to assist two IMPD officers conducting a wellbeing check at the CVS at 16th and Meridian on Nov. 14. A man was unresponsive inside an SUV. Initially, the driver, identified by police as Terrance Shane, got out and talked to the officers. Bruner staged the ambulance nearby in case his team was needed.
"I assessed him real quick to ensure that there were no life-threatening injuries, which, there was none, and then at that point, I rendered aid to the occupant of the vehicle," Bruner said.
Although Shane had hit Grantham, Bruner mentioned that Officer Grantham was not trapped between Shane's SUV and the CVS building, allowing easy transport to the ambulance.
Wilber and McKissack took cover behind the ambulance during the shooting. Once it ceased, they attended to Grantham after Bruner brought him over. They noted that he mainly sustained bruises.
"He was alert and oriented," McKissack said. "We just wanted to make sure he didn't have any loss of consciousness...any head deformities...any deformities on the extremities."
Meanwhile, Bruner treated Shane for a gunshot wound to his arm; another officer had already applied a tourniquet by then.
"That's a situation no one expects to be put into...Once we realized what was going on...our training kicked in," Wilber said.
IMPD Chief Chris Bailey expressed gratitude towards Indianapolis EMS for their actions that day, highlighting collaboration between agencies when situations go awry.
Shane faces charges including assault with a deadly weapon and possession of narcotics; court records indicate his trial is set for late January.