An 88-year-old man was taken into custody early Monday after he opened fire while being tended to by Berkeley firefighters, grazing one of them, authorities said.
The man was being treated for an unknown medical problem at his home on the 1200 block of Dwight Way about 1:45 a.m. when he began firing from a handgun, police said.
A firefighter was grazed by a bullet, and the fire crew ran from the home and called for emergency police backup.
The injured firefighter was treated at the scene and did not require hospitalization, said Officer Jennifer Coats, a Berkeley police spokeswoman.
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 grazed by a bullet and treated by colleagues at the scene.
“Our firefighters respond to medical calls every day, and to walk into a home where you’re essentially trying to help somebody and not know what might be waiting for you can be unnerving. In this situation, we’re grateful it wasn’t much worse,” said Jennifer Coats of the Berkeley Police Department.
The shooter was taken to the hospital for a psych evaluation.
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