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ST. PETERSBURG - Police arrested a 20-year-old man they say fired an AK-47 assault rifle at firefighters early Thursday.
Calvin Teodoro Foronda, of St. Pete Beach, faces two counts of aggravated assault on a firefighter and two counts of aggravated assault on a paramedic. None of the fire rescue personnel was injured.
Authorities say the incident began when St. Petersburg Fire & Rescue was dispatched to 6401 31st St. S,, Apt. 904, shortly before 4 a.m. for a medical call.
The 911 caller said a man was having seizures.
When paramedics arrived, a woman who came to the door wouldn't let them in, said spokesman Lt. Joel Granata.
Then the woman said everything was okay and they could check out the man, who was later determined to be the woman's boyfriend.
About the same time, authorities said, a different man came running out of the home, screaming for everyone to "run."
Moments later, paramedics heard a gunshot. They took cover.
"They said they were in fear of their life and thought they were being shot at," said police spokesman Bill Proffitt.
None of the firefighters was struck by the bullet, but one of them did get hit in the arm or hand by a piece of building material.
"It looks like the round went through the floor and one of the paramedics was struck by some drywall debris," Proffitt said.
Police arrested Foronda, who they said was the shooter inside the house and the person who had been having seizures.
It appears he and his girlfriend were under the influence of drugs, Proffitt said. The couple told investigators they'd taken some pills earlier that night, he said.
Still unclear, however, was why Foronda fired the gun.
"Apparently he made some statements that it was unintentional," Proffitt said.
Foronda was held Thursday night in the Pinellas County Jail in lieu of $40,000 bail.
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