An armed man hijacked an ambulance with a patient inside early July 23, police said. The suspected gunman has since been taken into custody, The Hill reports.
The ambulance was recovered and the patient was taken to the hospital via another ambulance.
Police said as the Houston Fire Department was transporting a patient to the hospital, the suspect ran the ambulance off the road, held the driver at gunpoint before forcing him out, and drove off in the ambulance. Police said another EMT deescalated the situation while caring for the patient inside the ambulance.
"This is not part of their jobs to be kidnapped, to be assaulted at gunpoint," said Samuel Pena, Houston Police Chief. "But it definitely has become a risk of the job. I'm very thankful that everybody is okay but it's not acceptable," he told local NBC affiliate KPRC2.
The driver who was left on the side of the road called police, and the fire department was able to monitor the ambulance.
"We immediately were following him. Our operation center and dispatch knew exactly what was going on and we were able to track the ambulance at all times,” Issac Garcia, Houston Fire Department Deputy Chief, told KPRC2.
The alleged gunman was also taken to the hospital after appearing to have trouble standing.