Pit Bull Attacks Oklahoma Paramedics

One man is bitten on the forearm, but the other manages to outrun the dog and trap it in a fenced area. A pit bull lunged off a porch and attacked an EMSA medic Wednesday morning at a rural home.

The dog bit James Pate's arm when he raised it to protect his face. He received stitches for the wound and was released from a hospital, but he will be off work until at least Monday, EMSA spokeswoman Tina Wells said.

The dog also chased Shawn Burch, a paramedic and assistant supervisor, but he was not injured.

The ambulance crew had been sent about 7 a.m. to the 8900 block of West 51st Street, Wells said.

When they arrived, Pate said, the dog "head-butted" a screen door and bolted out of the house.

The dog was "airborne and never hit the ground" as it left the porch, he said.

He threw his arm up and fell back over a pile of branches, which apparently jolted the dog enough that it let go of his arm.

The dog then chased Burch, but he managed to run and close a gate, trapping the dog in an enclosure, to prevent it from attacking him.

The Tulsa County Sheriff's Office was called to take the dog into custody.

Authorities did not know Wednesday whether Pate will need rabies shots.

Wells said this was a good example of why dispatchers always warn people to secure their animals before an ambulance crew arrives at a home.

"Having medics injured in a manner like this is frightening and disturbing, but what is even more frightening is what could have happened," she said.

For instance, Wells said, the dog could have seriously injured Pate's face if he had not protected it. Or a child could have wandered by and been attacked if the EMSA workers had not managed to contain the dog within the fence.

The ambulance crew had been called to assist a woman who reportedly was lying in the front yard. She wasn't there when they arrived, but she returned later and received treatment.

Nicole Marshall 581-8459

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