SAN DIEGO — San Diego Fire-Rescue firefighter paramedic Ben Vernon and firefighter EMT Alex Wallbertt were aiding a patient at a downtown San Diego trolley station shortly before 4 p.m. Wednesday when a bystander, 34-year-old Ryan Allen Jones, allegedly attacked Vernon with a folding knife. Wallbertt attempted to help his colleague, and both men suffered multiple stab wounds to their upper bodies during the ensuing struggle.
“This thing went bad very, very quickly,” said Fire Chief Javier Mainar who described the incident in a press conference (video below) as a “near death” experience for two veteran firefighters.
“They thought they were being punched and before they knew it they realized they were being stabbed,” he said.
The attack was ended after transit security guards intervened, holding Jones until San Diego police arrived on scene.
Vernon suffered a collapsed lung and received multiple stab wounds in the back. He remains in serious but stable condition and is expected to be hospitalized for several days. Wallbert was released from the hospital Thursday, after being stabbed more than once in the upper torso.
More details can be found in the news report video and press conference video below.
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CBS News 8 – San Diego, CA News Station – KFMB Channel 8
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