Mobile Care Van Attackers Still At Large


By Timothy Hale




Police are still searching for a group of men they say are responsible for the death of an Emergency Medical Services technician the night of April 10th.

Mitchell Frye was one man of several EMT’s that volunteered to work the Mobile Care Teams as part of Mayor Gillespie’s Hammers for Hands initiative. The Mobile Care Units had been deployed throughout the pit in an effort to bring basic care to many residents that were unable or unwilling to get to the care centers being set up at St. Mary’s Medical or Barton County Hospital.

Unfortunately, that left them in the thick of the chaos that descended over The Marshall Pit projects on Saturday night. Of the 6 teams that were assigned on Saturday, only two volunteered to remain through the night. Mitchell Frye was one of them, having served as a combat medic for 3 years in Iraq, he was unfazed by the idea of possible conflict.

And yet police say he was the first target when possible gang members descended upon his and his partner’s vehicle, killing him almost immediately. Within moments, the unit was overrun, and then a second group of men converged on the unit and began a protracted gun fight. According to the surviving Medical team member, after several life threatening moments, all the assailants “just looked around in surprise and shock, and walked off”.

The second Mobile Care Unit, stationed at 49th and Warner, attempted to join their sister unit that was under siege, when they came under attack by two vehicles attempting to run them from the road as well. Fortunately, the second vehicle was able to flee without injury to the drivers or innocent bystanders, but they were too late to assist their fellow Medical Technicians until after the attack had ceased.

Anyone with information regarding these crimes is urged to contact the anonymous police tip line at 1-555-847-5463.