Gun Put To Firefighter's Head during Rescue

[mllax14 18]

From Firehouse.com

TACOMA, Wash. (AP) -- A woman being carried out of a burning house put a gun to a firefighter's head and pulled the trigger repeatedly but was out of bullets following the shooting death of her boyfriend, police say. 

The woman, in her late 50s, was hospitalized for treatment of smoke inhalation Monday. Once she is released she will be jailed for investigation of first-degree murder and two counts of assault, officer Mark Fulghum said. 

Police and fire investigators said she apparently tried to set fire to the house in a suicide attempt after the shooting of her longtime boyfriend, 65. 

There was no known history of domestic violence between two or any obvious motive, at least ''nothing she's mentioned,'' Fulghum said. ''It kind of doesn't make a whole lot of sense.'' 

Lighter fluid, white gasoline and charcoal starter were poured throughout the 1½-story house and ignited before fire crews were dispatched shortly before 5 a.m., but the fire never spread much beyond the kitchen, Deputy Fire Chief Ronald W. Stephens said. 

Matt Carlisle, 28, said that as he and two other firefighters entered the smoke-filled house, they heard ''three distinct popping sounds'' which he thought were from exploding light bulbs. Investigators now believe the sounds were gunshots, Fulghum said. 

Carlisle said he could see barely three feet as he and another firefighter began trying to carry the woman and her dead boyfriend, whom they did not know had been shot, out of a basement bedroom. 

Suddenly, he said, ''There was a commotion going on next to me, a struggle between all my crew members and the (woman) ... hands and arms flailing about.'' 

Then Carlisle learned that another firefighter, Damon Semingson, wrestled a handgun from the woman after she put it to his head and pulled the trigger repeatedly. He saw the gun, which was out of bullets, in the beam of another firefighter's flashlight. 

''Obviously, it kind of makes me take a step back and realize how lucky I am - and how lucky I am to have a crew member like Damon, who realized the threat and acted on it without really any regard for his own safety,'' he said. ''I kind of dodged the proverbial bullet.''

:yikes: Wow, Talk about your lucky day.

[JBE 328]

Try he dodged the proverbial and literal...

Maybe she should have used one of those bullets on herself.

[firemn23 8]

Wasn't this kind of like the question Seth posted about a year ago to us. Sethstradomus

[Remember585 815]

Thank God that the gun was empty. I hope she is given a firm, and LONG sentence from the Washington state judicial system.

[Guest WolfEMT]

Unfortunately, Washington State has some of the most liberal laws out of all 51 in this country (50 State laws + 1 Federal law). Because of this, the woman is being chagred with assault for putting the gun to the fire fighter's head. However, her actions warrant an attempted murder charge, not an assault charge. Personally, I hope she goes away for a very long time...too bad she didn't light the house on fire and then use one of the bullets on herself, as JBE said.

[x648eng119 2]

Well, when you put it all together - Arson, Murder, Attempted Murder (Probably at least 3rd degree on one of the charges) She should be going away for a long time.

[DOC22 1]

Well, when you put it all together - Arson, Murder, Attempted Murder (Probably at least 3rd degree on one of the charges) She should be going away for a long time.

As well she should!!!!!

[mfc2257 464]

On another gun related note,

About 7-8 years ago while making an aggressive attempt to stop an attick fire in a row house while I was in college (www.gettysburgfd.com AND http://www.gettysburgfd.com/htst1025.html ) we encountered several boxes of ammunition (not that this was uncommon in a moderatly rural community) that began to discharge. I got caught in the leg (it didn't even pierce my t/o pants as non-chambered ammunition discharges with much less force than that of a chambered round) and my LT and another FF took similar rounds as well BUT the lesson that we learned was from the several loaded guns in the attic. Several discharged but thank god that myself, our officer and the remainder of our crew were not hit.

This can happen anywhere in the US not just rural communites on the PA/MD border.