British brothers attack ambulance crew treating their relative before turning on police in Spain

Imagine setting out to help someone who needs medical attention, only to have the people inside the house turn on you. Three emergency workers in Almería found themselves in that position when they went to treat a patient in Turre. The doctor, nurse and ambulance driver were attacked by the patient’s two sons and had to escape from the property, leaving their ambulance behind.

The incident happened at around 10.30pm on Tuesday, October 27, when the crew attended the family home to provide medical assistance. What began as a call to treat a patient ended with the healthcare workers fleeing the property and the Guardia Civil being called to intervene. The crew reported what had happened when officers arrived. The patient could not be transferred for medical reasons, meaning another ambulance had to be called to ensure he could receive the necessary care.

Guardia Civil officers also attacked

The confrontation continued when Guardia Civil officers went to the property to establish what had happened. One of the brothers came outside shouting and attempted to punch an officer. Officers tried to restrain him, but a struggle followed in which three officers reportedly fell to the ground.

The second brother then came out of the house and approached two officers who were occupied with restraining the first man. One officer used pepper spray to stop him, forcing him to retreat inside the property.

Officers call for reinforcements as brothers resist arrest

The first brother continued resisting arrest. He tried to headbutt and bite officers, making it difficult for them to bring him under control. Even after being placed inside a police vehicle, he continued struggling, kicking and headbutting the vehicle. The situation required further assistance from the Guardia Civil posts in Garrucha and Sorbas. Additional officers arrived to help deal with the brothers and bring the confrontation to an end.

When officers returned to the property to arrest the second man, he eventually came outside. However, he continued shouting and behaving aggressively before lunging at an officer and striking him. Officers then restrained him and placed him in handcuffs. Both brothers were arrested. The confrontation also led to medical assessments at a health centre in Vera, according to the local reporting.

Second ambulance called to treat the patient

The first crew had been sent to the home to provide medical care, but the incident left them unable to continue their work at the property. With the patient unable to be transferred at that stage, another ambulance had to attend to ensure he received treatment.

The circumstances meant that emergency medical staff and Guardia Civil officers were dealing with the same incident, with the initial call for medical assistance turning into a police operation involving several officers. The two British brothers were subsequently taken before the Juzgado de Primera instancia in Vera on Thursday, October 29.

Brothers released pending court proceedings

After their court appearance, both men were released provisionally. They must report to the court on the first day of every month while proceedings continue. The case concerns six alleged offences of assault on public officials: three involving the healthcare workers and three involving Guardia Civil officers.

The brothers have not been convicted of these offences, and the allegations will be dealt with through the judicial process. The proceedings will determine the legal consequences of the incident, which began with an ambulance crew responding to a patient in need of medical attention and ended with two arrests and several emergency workers requiring police intervention.