Yesterday, Port Orange Fire Lt. Carrasquillo and his crew of firefighter/paramedics responded to a two-car crash. The call turned out to be a most memorable one for Lt. Carrasquillo, an experience he’s never had in more than two decades working at the Port Orange FD. An accident victim threatened him with a handgun.
“After 23 years of doing the same thing, I never expected anything like this,” the Lieutenant said today. “At that moment my kids went through my mind and my wife went through my mind.”
Donald Brooks, 62, was slumped over the steering wheel of a Jeep involved in the crash. Lt Carrasquillo went to help Brooks, but instead was met with an angry, psycho, armed man who swiftly raised a handgun and tried to point it at the Fire Lieutenant. But before that could happen, Lt. Carrasquillo dove into the driver’s side of Brooks’ Jeep and grabbed the muzzle of the .40-caliber Glock.
“Next thing I knew, one of the (police) officers was climbing over me. He Tasered him (Brooks), but he kept fighting. I was finally able to wrestle the gun out of his hands while the officer kept Tasering him.”
“You’re going to have to kill me … I’m not going to jail,” Brooks reportedly stated.