…Researched and contributed by Solomon Thomas.
A paramedic from New South Wales (NSW), Steven Tougher, was fatally stabbed while on his morning coffee run at McDonald’s.
Mr Tougher had been nearing the end of his night shift, and his colleague accompanied him to the carpark when the incident happened.
At approximately 5:30 am, his colleague called the NSW Police when Mr Tougher was repeatedly stabbed in the abdomen.
Mr Tougher had only become a paramedic last year and was completing paperwork when he was attacked.
Unfortunately, he passed away from his injuries.
Nearing Paternity Leave
Mr Tougher had recently married his wife, Madison, in mid-March, and the couple was expecting their second child within weeks.
A GoFundMe page was set up for Mr Tougher’s widow by her colleagues, which has raised more than AUD 51,000 within four hours.
The fundraiser aims to support Madison and her family during this extremely difficult time.
Outpouring of Grief
Mr Tougher’s death has resulted in an outpouring of grief from the healthcare community, who believes selfless workers should not have to risk their safety for their job.
The incident has also prompted calls for paramedics to be treated with more respect.
NSW Ambulance Commissioner, Dominic Morgan, met with Madison, Mr Tougher’s mother, father, and sister after the attack, and said they were ‘beside themselves’ with grief.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also expressed his sympathies for Mr Tougher’s family and called for frontline workers to be treated with more respect.
Suspect Arrested
The police arrested a 21-year-old man who had been tasered at the scene of the crime.
The man is yet to be charged, but the police believe Mr Tougher was in the back of an ambulance when the assailant opened the sliding door and stabbed him multiple times.
The authorities have requested anyone with information about the incident or who saw a blue Honda Jazz Civic driving around the Ingleburn and Campbelltown areas to come forward.
Meanwhile, Mr Tougher’s family has requested privacy as they cope with this tragic loss.