A Missouri woman accused of fatally stabbing a Kansas City firefighter paramedic while he treated her injuries has been charged with first-degree murder.
Shanetta Bossell, 39, is accused of fatally stabbing Kansas City Fire Department paramedic Graham Hoffman, 29, in the heart early Sunday morning while being transported to a hospital in the back of an ambulance, according to a probable cause statement obtained by PEOPLE. He later died in the hospital.
Bossell has pleaded not guilty to the murder charge and is scheduled for a bond hearing on May 5.
Police say the incident began when they received reports of a woman later identified as Bossell walking on the shoulder of a highway near North Oak Trafficway. According to court documents, police called an ambulance when they noticed she had a laceration on her finger and was bleeding profusely.
According to the probable cause statement, Bossell refused to ride with them back to her home but agreed to be transported to a nearby hospital by ambulance. They then noticed the ambulance pull over and activate their emergency lights, while a fight allegedly occurred between a paramedic and Bossel.
According to court documents, the ambulance driver overheard Hoffman frantically calling for help, yelling, “She has a knife.” And as the driver flung open the emergency vehicle’s doors, he heard Hoffman say, “She stabbed me in the heart.”
According to court records, an officer witnessed Bossell run to the front seat of the ambulance and attempt to drive it away.
When Bossell struggled to start the ambulance, police were able to approach and apprehend her after she attempted to flee by running around the emergency vehicle, according to the statement.
Bossell then fell to the ground when the police officer attempted to apprehend her, causing her face to fall near the officer’s left arm, according to the probable cause and charging documents. Bossell then allegedly bit down hard on the officer’s arm, and the officer used their on-duty weapon to hit her in the back of the head, causing her to release her grip.
Bossell is currently charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action, third-degree assault on a special victim, and resisting arrest for a felony, according to court records.
Bossell had no attorney listed in her online court records.
