TOLEDO -- It's one of the most haunting images of Saturday's riots in North Toledo. Paramedic Aaron Frisch and his partner, Kathy Zeller, were attacked by a mob.

They were on their way to help at the scene when the crowd started running toward them. "They were still quite a distance away when the rocks and bricks started hitting. I was in a momentary state of shock until the rocks continued to hit and continued to hit and continued to break the windshield and break my rig," says Frisch.

Within seconds, Frisch said he knew he had to get out of there. He had been hit in the arm. His partner had been hit in the head with a brick. He had no choice but to back out. "I looked out and I saw in their eyes that they intended to do bodily harm," says Frisch.

Later, he and his partner are treated and released from Saint Vincent Mercy Medical Center. Frisch says anger has been replaced by forgiveness. "I don't really hold it against them. It was a mob mentality a mob psychosis. I don't believe that any one of them if by themselves would have done something to that effect," says Frisch.

The physical damage is all that's left. Frisch harbors no resentment toward the neighborhood he says needs to heal. Frisch says rescue workers are still there to help. "Being a Christian, I will go out and I will treat anybody that I am sent to treat. I will save anybody that I'm sent out to save," he says.

Frisch goes back to work on Friday. He has been a paramedic for 3 years. Saturday was the only time he has seen a crowd turn on a rescue crew.

Posted by KBihn