Officials address differing accounts of deadly ambulance encounter

Added: 2026-05-05

[00:00:00]Well, first tonight, [music] a tragic death in Kanawha County is at the center of growing questions, calling for accountability and calling for justice.

[00:00:08]And the two EMTs who are in the middle of the investigation remain on administrative administrative leave.

[00:00:15]John Lucas died after being hit and killed by a Kanawha County Emergency Ambulance Authority last week.

[00:00:20]>> Now, the crew driving told dispatchers that they feared for their safety, thought Lucas had a knife, and he jumped on the hood of their ambulance.

[00:00:38]8 Investigates has video that shows a different story, and Leslie Rubein is live to break down the very latest from prosecutors and investigators who admitted today what was first reported and what's been uncovered since. They just don't match up. But first, Jacob Pack joins us live in the studio with what the family has told our investigative team today. And Jacob, how is the family feeling about all of this?

[00:01:02]Well, Gina and Peyton, the family wanted to clear up a number of misconceptions about what happened to John Lucas. They say the way it has been reported thus far appeared to be very one-sided toward the medics, and that's one of the big reasons why they're pushing so hard to get that justice for John.

[00:01:17]To this day, that ambulance service has never called to respond and share condolences or anything about that.

[00:01:28]That's slap in the face. David Lucas and his daughter Laura want to set the record straight. What they were counting on was some unidentified homeless bum that nobody cared about and would not be missed.

[00:01:46]And now they tried to smear my son.

[00:01:50]And before this is over with, they're going to pay for it. Around 2:00 a.m. Thursday, Kanawha County dispatchers had an unusual exchange for around Elkview.

[00:01:59]According to dispatch audio, two female EMS workers said a man with a knife chased them and jumped onto their truck as they were leaving. 34505, you know, should they stop if he's got a knife threatening them?

[00:02:11]345, they need to stop. Their training had to take take over. They had to know that they have to stop and render aid.

[00:02:18]That's That's the creed of the ambulance service and paramedics and EMTs. They've actually ran him over when they were trying to get away. For Lucas's sister, John's death hurts even more because the ambulance crew has not been charged with any crimes yet. The county ambulance service confirmed both women are now on administrative leave.

[00:02:36]>> If it would have been me that hit somebody and drove 2 miles before I stopped after being in struck and to stop by police, I would have been under the South Central Regional Jail. 8 Investigates obtained video from a nearby business that shows Lucas running in the direction of the ambulance. And a witness told the family that Lucas had a tick bite and wanted it looked at. John done a lot of off-the-wall stuff.

[00:03:06]Uh but he wasn't stupid.

[00:03:08]He was a very, very smart kid.

[00:03:12]But he didn't since the brain brain injury, he didn't know how to regulate how he done his actions. Now, we must warn you, the remainder of this clip is disturbing, and viewer discretion is advised. The video shows the ambulance stop and then continue on.

[00:03:28]>> They think the male's possibly on the truck or under the truck. They said they can hear screaming coming from under their vehicle.

[00:03:35]>> The crew went nearly 2 miles before stopping. A stream of blood remained on the streets in the morning.

[00:03:41]>> understand why in in a 2-mile stretch of road of someone screaming, what stops you from stopping the vehicle from dragging the flesh off someone's bones and ripping an arm off someone's body. No knife located. 775, he is missing his arm.

[00:04:00]He's breathing with a light pulse.

[00:04:02]Male's breathing, light pulse, arm's been amputated. Another ambulance crew ended up rushing Lucas to the hospital, where he later died.

[00:04:09]>> To me, it looked like inten- intended.

[00:04:14]I mean, it it was crazy.

[00:04:15]>> If they were scared and hit John and then continued on, anybody's law book that said run. And over the weekend, the family hosted a vigil to show how the community wants that justice for John.

[00:04:27]And while this video we've shown you today is tough to watch, Laura says it's necessary.

[00:04:32]>> I want them to see, and I hate that. I hate it. I hate that I have to watch forever cuz this ain't going away. This is forever. But what bothers them even more is not getting to see him at the end. I didn't see him get killed.

[00:04:48]I didn't hear him scream.

[00:04:51]But when I try to sleep at night, all I hear in my mind is the screams of my son calling for help to people that was designated and paid to help.

[00:05:11]And the family is hoping criminal charges are filed against those EMS workers and continue to question why it hasn't already been done. In the studio, Jacob Pack 8 Investigates.

[00:05:21]Jacob, thank you. And those calls for justice grow louder. We're taking a closer look at where the investigation stands tonight. 8 Investigates reporter Leslie Rubein is live in downtown Charleston. Leslie, what is the prosecutor saying about the investigation right now?

[00:05:38]Kanawha County Prosecuting Attorney Debra Resnick is asking for patience, but at the same time today, she did acknowledge something very significant in the death investigation of John Lucas. Resnick and members of the sheriff's office did not take questions following a press conference this afternoon that lasted less than 5 minutes, but the prosecutor did say that early accounts of what happened from those EMS workers don't fully match the evidence that investigators have reviewed so far. Like we just told you, initially it was believed, based on the medics' account, that Lucas jumped on or lunged onto the hood of the ambulance, and they thought he had a knife. We're told there have been more than 250 pieces of evidence collected. They're calling this a complex and still developing case. The prosecutor also issuing a warning to the public tonight that threats or harassment, whether they're online or in person, are crimes and said they're actually distracting attention and resources from the case.

[00:06:45]While we understand the public's frustration and anger surrounding this incident, it is necessary that we protect the integrity of the investigation.

[00:06:57]This is a complex investigation, and it will take some time to complete. So, we do ask for the public's patience in the process.

[00:07:06]Finally, I would like to express my condolences to the Lucas family.

[00:07:11]I'm so sorry for your loss.

[00:07:17]There are several routes right now that this case could take. They could decide not to pursue charges, or they could be filed at any time. There's also the option of presenting the case to a grand jury, who would then determine if an indictment is warranted. But the main takeaway today, right now though, no charges have been filed. For now, reporting in Charleston, Leslie Rubein on 8.

[00:07:41]Thank you, Leslie. And you know what, there is just so much more to the story than what we're able to talk about.

[00:07:47]They've got much more information right now, including the full statement from officials along with the stream of today's press briefing, all online over at wchstv.com and on our social social media pages.