In Rowan County, emergency personnel faced unexpected danger when responding to a call about an unresponsive man in a vehicle. According to WBTV, officials from Rowan County Emergency Services and the Atwell Fire Department arrived on the scene around 11:45 a.m. to assist the individual. The initial emergency call later escalated when the man, identified as Miguel Angel Ramirez, discharged a firearm at the responders before commandeering a fire vehicle.
The situation occurred near the intersection of Highway 152 and Shinn Farm Road, where first responders encountered Ramirez inside his vehicle. They determined he was impaired, prompting a call to the North Carolina Highway Patrol, as per information provided by the Rowan County Sheriff's Office. While awaiting their arrival, Ramirez fired a shot, precipitating a chaotic scramble for safety amongst the emergency personnel, "I went to my bedroom while the two EMS ladies were right there in my window, so I opened my blind, and I said, 'What are you doing? What's going on?'" Christie Pender explained in a statement obtained by WCNC Charlotte. Her recounting of the events highlights the fear and confusion, "She hollered 'gun,' and every single person with the EMS, the police department, fire department, they all took off and ran." Ramirez subsequently stole a fire department's pickup truck.
The stolen vehicle didn't get far. After crashing into another vehicle, Ramirez drove the hijacked truck into a soybean field where authorities apprehended him. While there were no casualties from the gunshots, one paramedic sustained injuries from a fall during the incident. They received treatment at a hospital and were soon released, as confirmed by reports from WSOCTV. The Penders, residents who found themselves in proximity to the distressing scenario, reflected on the abnormality of such an event in their area, "I'm wary of the door," Christie Pender disclosed in her WCNC Charlotte interview.
