By Michael Frazier
Newsday (New York)
Copyright 2006 Newsday, Inc.
Long Beach firefighters responding to a medical emergency almost needed medical attention themselves when a man opened fire on them inside his residence, the city’s police department said yesterday.
Police said Adam Hall, 36, fired two rounds with a .38-caliber derringer, but missed. One firefighter injured a knee in ducking for cover, police said.
The gunfire erupted shortly before 6 p.m. Sunday inside Hall’s home at 52 E. Hudson St., police said.
Hall was arrested and charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, second-degree criminal use of a firearm and first-degree reckless endangerment. He pleaded not guilty yesterday in Long Beach City Court and was held in the Nassau County jail on $200,000 bond or $100,000 bail.
Neither Hall nor any of his relatives could be reached yesterday.
Police said firefighters encountered Hall and another man, whose identity was not released, when they arrived at his home. Firefighters tried to treat Hall, but police said he became combative, pulled out a gun and fired.
Firefighters called police. The officers found Hall and the other man inside the home. The other man walked outside and was taken into custody for questioning, but Hall refused to follow police orders.
Police surrounded the house, and two officers persuaded Hall to surrender.
Hall told police he had been upset over an argument, but investigators said the reason for the argument was unclear.
The unidentified man was released without charges.
Hall was treated at Long Beach Medical Center for an injury he received before the shooting, but police didn’t know the nature of the injury.
Fire Chief Ralph Pucillo did not return a call seeking comment about the incident.