'He was fighting like crazy': Man charged in assault on paramedics, police after Deerfoot Trail crash

A 52-year-old Calgary man is facing multiple assault charges related to a post-collision incident on Deerfoot Trail Monday that left two paramedics and one police officer injured.

Emergency crews were called to a multi-vehicle crash on Deerfoot between 17th Avenue S.E. and Memorial Drive Monday afternoon.

• 'Combative man' injures 3 first responders after Deerfoot Trail crash, say police

Police say as they were checking on occupants in the vehicles, a witness informed them paramedics were havingtrouble with one of the crash victims.

"Several members of EMS and CFD were involved in the struggle with the man within the close confines of the vehicle," police said in a release.

"The man actively assaulted the paramedics, resulting in one receiving head injuries."

Fight with first responders

The combative patient,identified by police asKent Douglas Wilson,also struggled with asecond paramedic inside the vehicle.

Police say three officers used conducted energy weapons (CEW) while trying to stop the assault;however, one of the paramedics accidentally touched the wires of the CEW, which resulted in him being shocked.

Police say a CEW probe was found on the paramedic who suffered head injuries,but are not sure if it came directly from the weapon as part of a discharge or during the struggle.

Once officers removed Wilson from the vehicle, they say he continued to fight with police, at which point he was restrained by police and sedated by paramedics.

Matthew Fitzgerald saw the exchange and said it took more than12 people to get the situation under control.

"It was very, very surreal. The amount of effort it took to subdue him was absolutely incredible," he said, adding the entire vehicle was shaking during the altercation.

He had arrived on scene 30 seconds after the crash, and had initially gone to check on the driver later arrested by police.

"He was completely mute. He didn't say a word," saidFitzgerald.

When EMS arrived, Fitzgerald said the driver lost control after a paramedictriedtocheckhispulse.

Assault charges

"He was fighting like crazyand the police were yelling, 'We're here to help you. Please calm down. Stop resisting us,'" he said.

Fitzgerald says he believes the force used by police to get the situation under control was warranted.

Wilson has since been charged with assault, assault causing bodily harm, assault against a peace officer and resisting arrest, according to police.

Witnesses told police they saw Wilson'sgreen-grey 2006 Acura MDX swerving from the left lane of northbound Deerfootinto the median multiple timesbefore coming back to the road and colliding withother vehicles and eventually becoming involvedin the multi-vehicle crash.

Wilson is due in court on July 5. He has been released from custody.

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