BROOKLYN, OH (WEWS/CNN) - An Ohio firefighter was hurt trying to save a man from an overdose.
That man was a sheriff's office employee.
Paul Grivas, the man strapped down and kicking, had a badge with the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Department.
Grivas works as a process server, someone who serves warrants or subpoenas.
And he was on the job.
"It was definitely a different situation dealing with somebody that's in the same line of work we are," said Officer Joe Bugai of the Brooklyn Police Department.
Grivas was in his marked sheriff's department vehicle, serving subpoenas when when someone noticed him slumped over the wheel in the IHOP parking lot and dialed 911.
Brooklyn first responders recognized right away, he was overdosing and unresponsive.
Grivas was given several doses of naloxone and woke up extremely combative.
"He was flailing his arms, kicking his legs and one of the medics ended up getting kicked in the head," Bugai said.
He gave that firefighter a concussion.
"Stop fighting us, you overdosed in your car," a firefighter can be heard telling Grivas in the video.
Grivas is charged with felonious assault and obstructing official business.
Bugaj said it’s not uncommon for people to wake up this way and it's something they have to keep in mind.
"You never know what could happen," he said. "Whether or not they're going to be upset because we are basically taking that high away from them. It's our job. It's what we signed up to do. We are here to preserve life."
Authorities didn't say how Grivas was doing.
The firefighter he hurt is doing OK.
Copyright 2018 WEWS via CNN. All rights reserved.
