BRADENTON, Fla. — New body camera video released by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office shows the moment a routine medical call turned into a life or death situation. 

Both deputies and paramedics responded recently to a 911 call for a man passed out in the driver’s seat of his vehicle, parked in the middle of 53rd Avenue West in Bradenton. 

After attempting to wake the man multiple times, paramedic Joe Savasta broke the back window of the car and crawled inside to remove the keys from the ignition. He opened the door and allowed fellow paramedic Carlos Santos to begin checking the man’s vital signs. 

During the process, the man startled awake and grabbed a loaded gun from the center console of the car. 

Immediately, Santos screamed "gun" and lunged at the driver to disarm him. Savasta, who was just a few steps away, jumped toward the driver and helped pull the gun away before the trigger was pulled. Santos then handed it to a nearby deputy.

“All I heard was his cries and saw him fighting with a gun," Savasta said. "I came to him to incapacitate the driver from functioning the gun and the fight was on from there."

“I saw the gun, I know what guns do, and in the back of my mind I said, 'Get it or you’re dead,'" Santos added. 

The two were honored on Tuesday by local leaders for their bravery. 

“You have to be able to live with yourself after a call if anything were to go wrong," Savasta said. "Would I be OK with the circumstances that played out with my partner? And that was a definite no."

The driver was charged with attempted murder and driving under the influence.