An unnamed man in Berlin, Germany is facing jail time after attacking paramedics who were trying to resuscitate a child on the morning of Friday, November 3rd. Reports say the 23-year-old man — whose privacy is protected under German law — flew into a rage when he found that the ambulance was blocking his car and preventing him from getting to work.
18-month-old Leonard Funke was playing outside of his Kindergarten with his classmates at around 9AM on Friday morning when he suddenly collapsed. One of his teachers rushed to perform CPR, while another called the ambulance. Leonard’s heart had stopped. The paramedics determined that Leonard was suffering from ventricular fibrillation, and began to perform heart massage and administer oxygen.
Videos by PopCulture.com
However, the unnamed attacker blocked the medical staff from retrieving an oxygen mask and other supplies from their ambulance. He then smashed a side mirror off of the emergency vehicle, all the while screaming at the paramedics to move out of his way. They explained repeatedly that they were in the middle of a serious rescue, and that they couldn’t move.
“I explained to him that we are trying to resuscitate a child and cannot move the ambulance,” one paramedic said. “But he took up a threatening posture in front of me, as if he was about to hit me.”
The man was ultimately removed from the scene by police. Further investigation will determine how his actions may have effected the rescue and recovery of little Leonard Funke.
Leonard was taken to the Virchow Clinic in Berlin once the paramedics managed to get his heart to start beating again. He remains there, in a medically induced coma. There’s no word yet on whether the episode will cause any long-term health problems for Leonard, but in cases like this, there’s a margin of minutes — or even seconds — before permanent brain damage begins to occur. Leonard has also contracted a lung infection as a result of this accident.
Although the paramedics have opted not to press charges for the violent threats against them, the man is being charged with destruction of public property for smashing the ambulance mirror. Leonard’s father, Thomas Funke, has launched a private prosecution against the attacker, which could charge him with obstruction of rescue workers. That offense could land the man in prison for three years all on its own.
Leonard’s mother, Katharina, has a different perspective, telling reporters: “I don’t want to have hate in my heart. I just hope this motorist never suffers from something like this.”
