ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. — A man was arrested after investigators say he shot at first responders and stole a fire department pickup truck.
Rowan County emergency services and the Atwell Fire Department responded to a service call for an unresponsive driver near the intersection of Highway 152 and Shinn Farm Road on Sunday around 11:46 a.m.
Paramedics found Miguel Angel Ramirez in the vehicle and determined he was impaired rather than suffering a medical problem, according to the Rowan County Sheriff's Office. Authorities called the North Carolina Highway Patrol (NC SHP) to the scene.
Ramirez fired a shot at first responders while they were waiting for the NC SHP. This happened right by the home of mother and daughter Chi Chi and Christie Pender.
"I went to my bedroom while the two EMS ladies were right there in my window, so I opened my blind, and I said, 'What are you doing? What's going on?'" Christie Pender told WCNC Charlotte. "She hollered 'gun,' and every single person with the EMS, the police department, fire department, they all took off and ran."
Ramirez then stole a fire department pickup truck after the shooting. He crashed into a vehicle and then drove into a nearby soybean field where he was arrested.
Nobody was hit by the gunfire, but one Rowan County paramedic was injured while falling to the ground. They were treated and released from the hospital.
However, the Penders say chaos like this is unusual for the area and will have lasting impacts.
"I'm wary of the door," Christie Pender said. "You just don't like let something like that slide real easy."
Ramirez suffered minor injuries from the crash with the other vehicle.
Officials announced Ramirez is facing the following charges: Two counts of Assault on Firefighter/Specified Medical Personnel with a Firearm, Felony Larceny, Possession of a Stolen Firearm, and Driving While Impaired.
He is at the Rowan County Detention Center under no bond due to the Pretrial Integrity Act.
This situation remains under investigation by the Rowan County Sheriff's Office.