2 volunteer firefighters indicted for fight in front of burning Maryland home
2 volunteer firefighters indicted for assault, misconduct after fight w/career firefighters at fire scene in December 2015.
— PG_SAO (@PG_SAO) December 6, 2016
Two West Lanham Hills Volunteer Fire Department (Station 828) officers have been indicted almost a year after a fight at the front of a burning house in Prince George’s County, Maryland. The fight was with two PGFD career female firefighters assigned to the Landover Hills station (Station 830).
The fire occurred on December 8, 2015. The two men indicted are Christopher Kelly and Jeff Miller.
The incident prompted a stern video warning from Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Chief Marc Bashoor (see below).
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As the career firefighters were preparing to enter the home, Volunteer Company 28 got to the scene. Volunteer firefighter Chris Kelly, who officials say was not wearing all of the proper gear, blockED the door of the house to stop the career firefighters from entering before the volunteer firefighters.
Kelly then got into a struggle with a female career firefighter, hit her and knocked her off the house’s front porch. She tried to get into the house again but then Miller grabbed her and pulled her off the porch, officials say.
“Mr. Kelly and Mr. Miller were fighting with a career Fire/EMS unit over who should be the first to go into a fire instead of remembering that their main responsibility was to help anyone in need and extinguish the fire, not argue over who goes inside first,” said Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Angela Alsobrooks . “Their actions were reckless, irresponsible and uncalled for.”
