Glendale firefighter punched in the jaw

A Glendale firefighter was punched in the jaw Sunday after he and his crew tried to help the mother of a 28-year-old man with psychiatric issues, police said.

The man, Keristo Andresian, was arrested on suspicion of battery and released to staff at Glendale Adventist Medical Center for treatment, according to police.

Andresian’s mother called about 12:06 p.m. for an ambulance, but canceled it while fire was en route, police said. When firefighters arrived, Andresian was reportedly seated inside a vehicle and honking the horn.

Firefighters were talking to his mother, when he suddenly exited the vehicle, approached them and asked if they had been called for him, police said.

A fire captain told Andresian that they were still assessing the situation, Andresian turned and punched another firefighter, police said.

The firefighters immediately took Andresian to the ground and called for police, who then placed him in handcuffs.

The firefighter was not seriously injured, police said.

-- Veronica Rocha, veronica.rocha@latimes.com

Follow on Google+ and on Twitter: @VeronicaRochaLA.