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Police, SWAT surround Allegheny Co. home after medics assaulted while responding to call

WINDGAP, Pa. — Pittsburgh Police and SWAT surrounded an Allegheny County home after medics were assaulted while responding to a call, investigators told Channel 11.

Joseph Sadar, 51, was arrested and charged with six counts of aggravated assault and one count of resisting arrest.

According to police, one medic was punched in the face and another was pushed to the ground while responding to a call on Windgap Avenue in Windgap around 3:45 p.m. Saturday. Police said the initial call came in when a man asked for help for his mother.

The call was for a wellness check, and police said when medics arrived she refused treatment. There was no information suggesting there were weapons in the home or that the man was mistreating his mother, but officers learned he had “documented aggression” toward other police departments.

Investigators told Channel 11 as the EMTs were leaving the house, the woman’s son attacked them from behind. That man then holed himself and his mother in the house, which prompted the SWAT situation.

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The road was shut down in that area as police investigated for hours, and police said contact was made through a negotiator. The rest of the homes on that block were evacuated as well.

Around 6:30 p.m., the situation ended when the suspect was taken into custody. Public safety officials told Channel 11 a fight ensued between the suspect and police officers, and two officers were injured -- one from a dog bite and the other from an object thrown at him.

The suspect’s home is a duplex, and their neighbor on the other side was able to get out safely.

Both medics were listed in stable condition at a local hospital, but officials said one of them may have to stay overnight due to possible concussions.

Police said the woman and her son were both taken to the hospital.