Portland Woman Arrested After Injuring Paramedics in Drunken Rampage While Fleeing Their Help

PORTLAND, Ore. — After responding to reports on Thursday, February 20, of an unresponsive woman in the driver seat of a car in the parking lot of a church in the 4500 block of Northeast 116th Avenue A, Portland,  American Medical Response (AMR) paramedics attempted to assist the woman, who fled while the two paramedics were attending to her, causing them injuries.

Police later caught up with the suspect, Rasheon A. Murphy, 29, of Portland, who was arrested on Assault and DUII charges.

Portland Drunk Driver Injures Paramedics Helping Her As She Flees: Woman Arrested

Two AMR paramedics found Murphy unresponsive in the driver’s seat. As they attended to her via the open driver’s side door, she woke up, started the car, put it in reverse gear, and rapidly accelerated backward.

The open car door stuck one paramedic, who was then pinned against the ambulance, and the tires of the vehicle ran over the left foot of the other paramedic.

Murphy then shifted the vehicle into drive, accelerated forward, and crashed into a parked car before driving through the landscaped area of the church property. After causing significant injuries and property damage, she fled the scene.

The paramedics were transported to the hospital, treated for serious injuries, and later released, but police responded with a K9 officer.

Murphy’s vehicle was spotted on Northeast Sandy Boulevard driving recklessly and traveling at a high rate of speed. Officers pursued her to her residence at the 10700 block of Northeast Wygant Street, where she was arrested.

Murphy’s blood alcohol level was tested and found to be almost 3 times the legal limit to drive.

Murphy was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center on the following fifteen charges:

• 2 counts of Assault in the Third Degree
• Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants (alcohol)
• Reckless Driving
• 2 counts of Failure to Perform the Duties of a Driver (injury)
• 3 counts of Failure to Perform the Duties of a Driver (property damage)
• 3 counts of Recklessly Endangering Another Person
• 3 counts of Criminal Mischief in the First Degree