Woman charged in fatal stabbing of paramedic bit officers, tried to steal ambulance: Court docs

The woman who is charged with fatally stabbing a paramedic firefighter in the back of an ambulance was arrested days prior after biting an officer, according to court records.

Shanetta Bossell, 38, was charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action on Sunday after she allegedly stabbed paramedic firefighter Graham Hoffman in the chest in Kansas City, according to court documents obtained by USA TODAY.

However, days before the stabbing, Bossell was arrested after she allegedly bit an officer and “recklessly caused serious physical injury,” during a different arrest, according to court records obtained by USA TODAY.

She was charged with assault and resisting arrest, but posted a $10,000 bond and was released before Saturday, according to the Clay County, Missouri, Prosecutor’s Office.

Bossell bites officer in front of residence

Police were called to the home of an unidentified, off-duty police officer after Bossell bit him, while he was still in his uniform in front of his home, according to the documents.

Bossell was allegedly pulling on the door handles of the officer’s car when he asked her what she was doing, court documents stated. He then asked what she was doing, but she ignored him and walked towards the front door of the residence.

He informed Bossell that he was a police officer and asked her to show him her hands, according to the document. However, she continued towards the door, and the officer then grabbed her by the arm as she began to resist

The officer wrestled Bossell to the ground, who managed to grab his handcuffs from his vest and then attempted to grab a knife from his vest, but the officer kept her away from it.

The officer attempted to call for backup using his walkie-talkie when Bossell bit his left forearm.

“Bossell refused to let go and [the officer] tried from yanking his arm free, as it would possibly rip a chunk of his arm out,” according to the probable cause statement.

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Paramedic’s death leaves city ‘heartbroken’

Early Sunday morning, firefighter Graham Hoffman, 29, was in the back of an ambulance transporting a patient to the hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, when he was stabbed in the chest, piercing his heart, according to a press release published on the city’s website.

Hoffman was taken to the intensive care unit at North Kansas City Hospital, but succumbed to his injuries.

“I am heartbroken by the loss of Firefighter Paramedic Graham Hoffman,” the city’s mayor, Quinton Lucas, said in a statement. “After praying for his recovery this morning with his family and colleagues, I join all Kansas Citians in mourning the loss of a heroic public servant.”

Hoffman had been a firefighter since 2022, according to the press release.

A fundraising campaign on The Yard Foundation, a nonprofit organization that helps firefighters, has been set up to help his family.

What happened?

At 12:30 a.m. on Sunday, the Kansas City Police Department was dispatched to a welfare call at 152 Highway and North Oak Trafficway in Kansas City, a representative from the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department told USA TODAY. The reports were regarding a woman walking on the highway.

Officers attempted to give Bossell a ride to her home, but she refused, according to court documents. Instead, she opted to go to the hospital in an ambulance.

At 1:25 a.m. local time, EMS was transporting Bossell when she is suspected of stabbing Hoffman in the chest.

The ambulance pulled over and the driver ran to the back to open the door.

“Officers observed a struggle between the paramedic in the back, Graham Hoffman Bossell,” according to the court document. “

Hoffman was stabbed in the chest, and a second ambulance arrived at the scene to take him to a nearby hospital while police arrested Bossell and took her to Metro Patrol Detention.

Bossell accused of attempting to drive the ambulance away and bit an officer

A police officer said that Bossell then jumped out of the back of the ambulance after it was stopped and into the driver’s side.

She was “trying to put the ambulance in drive,” according to the probable cause statement.

Bossell is also accused of biting a second police officer at the scene of the stabbing, who was attempting to arrest her after the altercation.

Bossell was apprehended after the incident and later charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action.

Woman charged in fatal stabbing appears in court: Reports

Bossell made her first court appearance yesterday, according to local outlets KMBC and WDAF-TV.

The outlets also report that she will be back in court for a bond hearing on next Monday, May 5.

Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. Connect with her on LinkedIn,X, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Shanetta Bossell charged after fatal stabbing of paramedic firefighter