EMS chief believes ambulance was targeted in shooting that wounded teen EMT in Bellport, Long Island
Click here to watch video of interview with South Country Ambulance Chief Gregory Miglino.
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The head of South Country Ambulance on Long Island believes one of his ambulances responding to a call was targeted during a shooting last night in Bellport (Suffolk County, NY). The gunfire slightly injured a teenaged volunteer crew member. Gregory Miglino say this is the first time one of South Country's units had been struck by a bullet.
The bullet came through the ambulance window at around 8 p.m. as it was traveling east on Atlantic Avenue and struck a 19-year-old volunteer EMS worker in the back. Miglino says the teen was not seriously hurt because he was wearing a hazmat jacket and bulletproof vest at the time of the incident.
“He got right back up,” said Miglino. “He went out on two more calls after being hit.”
Less than 20 minutes after the shooting, the chief says they responded to another shooting just eight blocks away from where the ambulance was hit.
Paddock Auto, a local body shop, also was hit by gunfire.
The chief said all EMS workers have been wearing bulletproof vests for the past year and a half because of the recent violence in the area.
“He’s not injured bad. I think the biggest injury to the entire department is the shock that somebody would actually fire upon a volunteer ambulance that’s coming to the aid of somebody who’s sick or injured,” said Miglino. “We’ve never had one of our vehicles fired upon like that. It makes no sense to us either. This is something that we’re hoping is a random act of violence.”
No arrests have been made.
