A suspected arsonist stabbed an Austin firefighter as crews battled blazes set alongside Interstate 35 on Monday.
Firefighting crews responding to reports of fires along the highway at about 2:50 a.m. saw the suspected arsonist dragging a burning object behind him that was igniting grass.
Firefighters questioned the man, who became agitated and made a move to walk into the traffic. The suspect stabbed a firefighter who tried to stop him, leaving a non-life-threatening, two-inch-deep wound.
“One of our firefighters, as the man moved off of the highway, stood in front of him to keep him from walking back onto the highway. The man got a little agitated. An altercation happened, and he stabbed our firefighter in the thigh,” Austin Fire Department Chief Shift Commander Eddie Martinez said.
Other firefighters detained the man until law enforcement could arrive.
Neither the accused arsonist nor the firefighter have yet been publicly identified.
“There have been situations in the past where we’ve had altercations with people. This is the first time that I can remember that one of our firefighters has been injured in this way,” Mr. Martinez explained.
The head of the local firefighter’s union said that mental health issues were at play in the stabbing.
“That’s mental health. That’s clearly what this was. And police officers are trained in that, EMS is and so is fire. It’s just in this case, we need more people on scene sooner. It would have been a better outcome perhaps. Police have body armor. EMS has body armor. We don’t,” Austin Firefighters Association President Bob Nicks told KVUE-TV.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
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