Police say 2 on ambulance crew were attacked
CHICORA — A man suspected of being on a cocaine-heroin high Sunday evening is accused of attacking two ambulance crew members, biting one medic on the arm and kicking the other in the face.
Travis R. Duttine, 25, of East Brady was being held in the Butler County Prison on $100,000 bail on felony assault and other charges.
State police said they were called about 5:30 p.m. for a report of a man, later identified as Duttine, running through yards and banging on doors of homes on the 200 block of Kittanning Street in Chicora.
He eventually laid down in the front yard of a home. A 911 caller thought the man had possibly overdosed.
Karns City Regional Ambulance Service got there first and the crew subsequently notified county dispatchers to “expedite” the police response, authorities said.
Cpl. Jacob Jesse arrived and found the defendant's car parked in the middle of the road near Chicora Elementary School.
The officer described seeing ambulance personnel struggling with the “highly combative” defendant in the back of the ambulance. The medics were calling for police help.
While the officer handcuffed Duttine's hands to the stretcher rail, the suspect is accused of screaming and yelling obscenities at police and ambulance workers.
Jesse on Monday said he believed the suspect was suffering from a “drug-induced mania.”
Duttine allegedly admitted to having injected a combination of heroin and cocaine, according to court documents. The two-drug mixture is commonly referred to as a “speedball.”
The officer inspected Duttine's vehicle and found 10 stamp bags and five empty bags of suspected heroin, a small baggie that contained a “powdery substance” and three syringes, documents said.
Jesse returned to the ambulance and found the suspect again fighting with the EMS workers despite being in handcuffs.
Duttine is accused of biting the right forearm of emergency medical technician Brandon Makin, breaking the victim's skin and leaving a bruise, and kicking paramedic Nancy Brice in the face, causing a small cut on her nose.
Jesse said this time he also hog-tied the defendant's legs to the stretcher.
The defendant was taken to Butler Memorial Hospital for unspecified treatment before being placed in the county prison.
Makin was also examined at the hospital for his bite wound.
District Judge Bill O'Donnell on Monday arraigned Duttine on felony charges of aggravated assault and misdemeanor charges of simple assault, possession of a controlled substance and disorderly conduct.
