Stuti Gokhale
Lifetime’s ‘The Paramedic Who Stalked Me’ (also titled ‘Psycho Paramedic’) is a thriller movie that follows Chloe, a young woman who escapes a near-fatal accident. While thankful to the medical professionals who saved her, she discovers that one EMT worker named Matt is stalking her. Soon, his obsession with Chloe grows dangerous, and she finds that she resembles his high school sweetheart, who died years ago in a tragic accident. However, Matt believes she is his dead lover and would go to any extent to have her back.
Featuring a stellar cast comprising Lexi Minetree, Andrew Spach, Ben VanderMey, and Maeve Quinlan, the Dave Thomas directorial is packed with powerful performances and a storyline that keeps the audience hooked till the end. On top of that, the lifelike portrayal of themes like obsession and stalking makes one wonder if the Lifetime movie is rooted in a true story. So, if you are paddling the same boat of curiosity, here are the answers you need!
The Paramedic Who Stalked Me is an Original Story
No, ‘The Paramedic Who Stalked Me’ is not based on a true story. Instead, its realistic narrative can be credited to the genius and writing prowess of Daniel West, who has previously been the mind behind several hit Lifetime thrillers, including ‘Killer Stepmom,’ ‘A Job to Die For,’ ‘Lethal Love Triangle,’ and ‘Malicious Motives.’ Given his tremendous experience in the genre, the writer has crafted a compelling story full of thrill and suspense. While the movie is fictional, the topics it deals with are not unheard of in real life.
For instance, Chloe is stalked by the paramedic, Matt, who makes her life hell with his fatal obsession. Unfortunately, thousands of women worldwide have become victims of stalking and harassment at some point. According to a report by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, about 3.4 million persons aged 16 or older were victims of stalking in 2019. Among that, females were stalked more than twice as often as males. Not just that, an estimated 67% of victims of both traditional stalking and stalking with technology were fearful of being killed or physically harmed.
In a somewhat similar instance to the movie, Dr. William E. O’Connor, an ENT Specialist from Fall River, Massachusetts, was arrested in September 2019 on charges of trespassing, violating an abuse prevention order, and attempting to commit a crime. As per reports, he was accused of stalking a former patient, who allegedly was his ex-girlfriend and was married to another man. Dr. O’Connor often tried breaking into the couple’s property and even violated a no-trespass notice. As a result, his license was temporarily suspended, and he faced disciplinary action.
Thankfully the incident did not lead to anyone being harmed, but the same cannot be said about numerous other stalking cases where obsessed individuals have killed their former lovers. In August 2016, 27-year-old Michael Lane from East Sussex, England, shockingly murdered his 19-year-old ex-girlfriend, Shana Grice. After the pair broke up after a brief relationship in 2015, he refused to accept the same and would continuously stalk and harass her. Shana reported Michael to the police several times for threatening and behaving obsessively with her, but allegedly very little was done to help her.
Things ended tragically when Shana began dating someone else. In a fit of jealousy, Michael broke into her home on August 25, 2016, slit her throat, and set fire to her bedroom to cover up his tracks. The following year, he was sentenced to life, and the law enforcement officers were questioned regarding their ineptitude in helping Shana when she approached them earlier. As one can see, there are countless heartbreaking stories all around the world where women have struggled to feel safe in their own homes and cities.
The Lifetime thriller represents many such people and their experiences, whom Daniel West seemingly came across during his research. It may be possible that he referred to similar cases while penning the movie’s narrative. Hence, it can be attested that even though ‘The Paramedic Who Stalked Me’ is a work of fiction, it incorporates the writer’s real-life observations to send a powerful message about the sad state of women’s safety to the masses through its protagonist’s situation.
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