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Berkeley Firefighter Escapes Injury In Shooting After Bullet Hits Pager

BERKELEY (KCBS) - The Berkeley Fire department is crediting a pager device with saving the life of a firefighter who was shot while responding to a medical call Monday morning.

At approximately 1:30 a.m., a paramedic team that included three firefighters and a two-person ambulance crew arrived at a home on the 1200 block of Dwight Way near San Pablo Ave. in West Berkeley; entered, and attempted to initiate treatment on one of the two residents inside.

One of those residents, described only as an 88 year-old, allegedly began firing at the medical team.

One firefighter was hit, but the bullet struck the pager he wore on his belt and not his body.

"Often times it's worn on the belt and so that was the position that the firefighter had the device in," explained a Berkeley Fire Department deputy chief on the scene.  "It was destroyed but the firefighter did not suffer a bullet injury."
Police arrived a short time later and took the alleged shooter into custody. It is expected the alleged shooter will also undergo a mental health evaluation.

Paramedic Team Takes Gunfire While on Emergency Call in Berkeley

The motive was not immediately known, and police had not determined Monday morning what charges would be filed in the case.

(Copyright 2013 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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