ORANGE COUNTY, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- In the early hours of a cold January morning in 2022, paramedics Dottie DiLiddo and Randy Williams were called out to a house for a medical emergency. While trying to help someone in need, they say they became victims themselves. 

"She turned around and grabbed me by the back of the head, she slammed my head into the metal bar of the cot. She then threw me to the floor and proceeded to punch me and kick me," DiLiddo said.

Then the alleged attacker, Cierra Johnson jumped out of the ambulance and ran away, but was later arrested. DiLiddo's physical injuries were less severe than Williams, but the mental scars from that morning eventually causing DiLiddo to retire earlier than she had planned. 

"I would say there was a lot of emotional trauma that went along with it. You know, flashbacks, bad dreams, that sort of thing. I felt very threatened at the time of that attack. I thought this is how my life is going to end." 

Now over 20 months since the incident, Williams and DiLiddo say they have still not received the justice they are looking for. After multiple continuances, the case has not been decided and the two EMTs are concerned that it will end in a plea deal without jail time.  that got the attention of Brian Savage, President of the Orange County chapter of International Association of Firefighters.

"When we became aware of what that agreement was, we felt it set a very dangerous and disturbing precedent," DiLiddo said. 

Savage tells us that agreement is for six months of house arrest, and he says that's not enough.

"This whole thing has been going on over a year, and you know Dottie and Randy live this every day. This has impacted them physically and emotionally and their families. And we fear she is not taking this into account when she is considering the consequences," Savage said.

For Diliddo, this is now about making sure the community knows about the risks taken by first responders and wants that to be taken seriously.

"The outcome is the outcome. It's not going to change, and I don't expect it to change, and I've made peace with that. I have made peace with whatever happens, but I think the story needs to be heard," DiLiddo said.