A tense, five-hour barricade situation at a store in Honolulu ended late Wednesday night with the arrest of a 34-year-old man.
Emergency medical crews wearing body armor played a key role as police diffused the escalating incident, Hawaii News Now reports.
The situation unfolded around 5 p.m. when police received reports of a man throwing liquor bottles and damaging property inside the store. Honolulu police officers found a man barricaded in a small storage room, where he unsuccessfully attempted to set a small box on fire.
Emergency medical personnel entered the scene wearing protective gear, including bulletproof vests and helmets. This standard equipment, introduced about three years ago, enables medical teams to operate in increasingly violent situations.
“Violent crime is up, and the days where EMS stays in the cold zone, otherwise known as a safe zone, are over,” EMS District Chief Jared Tano told Hawaii News Now.
The Honolulu Fire Department has also adopted similar protective measures for its crews to address the changing landscape of emergency response.
