SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — A 43-year-old Lake Mary man was arrested in Sanford after police said he jumped into an ambulance at Central Florida Regional Hospital and drove off with a firefighter still inside.
James Weldon Sessions was arrested at about 4:39 p.m. Tuesday about two miles from the hospital where he had stopped the ambulance and jumped into a retaining pond, Sanford police said.
Channel 9 found out that Sessions is on medication to help with his mental issues.
Sanford police said there were no policy violations, and it is standard procedure to the keep the ambulance running if an EMT or a firefighter is inside.
Witnesses told officers that they saw Sessions, who was walking with crutches due to a broken foot, get into the ambulance and drive away.
Sessions hit another vehicle with the ambulance as he was driving away and slowed to a stop to let the firefighter in the back jump out, officers said.
The firefighter confronted Sessions, who responded, “Get off… get off,” before driving away, a Sanford Police Department arrest report said.
A second ambulance at the hospital gave chase after the stolen vehicle and followed it to the dead end of Jewett Lane where Sessions stopped, got out and jumped into a retaining pond, police said.
Two individuals in the ambulance stopped Sessions from leaving until police could respond to the scene, the report said.
Sessions was arrested and charged with theft of a motor vehicle and leaving the scene of an accident.
Sessions was being held at the Seminole County Jail in lieu of bonds totaling $2,500.
It was a heated first appearance Wednesday as prosecutors battled for a higher bond.
“The only way to really protect the community is to leave him at no bond or increase his bond in this case,” said the prosecutor.
Prosecutors fought to raise Sessions’ bond, saying he has mental health issues, and also wanted to increase the charges to include false imprisonment.
Sessions' public defender, Larry Kowal, fought back.
“To increase the bond for him when we don't increase the bond for people that shoot somebody or go out and stab somebody, it's just not the right thing to do here,” said Kowal.
The judge sided with the defense, but is forcing Sessions to get a mental health evaluation.
“For the protection of this community, I think he does need to have that looked into a little bit,” said a judge.
When officers told the man why he was being arrested, Sessions apparently made a comment, but his statement was redacted from the Sanford Police Department arrest report.
He also made comments while in the arresting officer’s police cruiser, which were also redacted.
Cox Media Group
