UPDATED: Six DC firefighters on leave after fight with person at emergency scene
DC Fire & EMS statement calls actions "completely unacceptable" after video shows someone being punched & kicked
.@wusa9 photog says guy was aggressive with several firefighters and punched one in the face just before the brawl. @DCPoliceDept charged Charles Simpkins, II, 43, with no fixed address, with assaulting a firefighter. @dcfireems @IAFF36 https://t.co/ec28kENUKM https://t.co/UJZ9fw8ZqV
— Bruce Leshan (@BruceLeshan) April 27, 2023
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UPDATE
Below is a second video of the fight as police move in along with the available radio traffic from OpenMHz.com. This is all related to the fight Tuesday night involving DC Fire & EMS Department firefighters and a citizen.
According to WUSA-TV reporter Bruce Leshan on Twitter, “@wusa photog says guy was aggressive with several firefighters and punched one in the face just before the brawl.” @DCPoliceDept
charged Charles Simpkins, II, 43, with no fixed address, with assaulting a firefighter.”
The radio traffic shows that Battalion Chief 1 called for police at 9:55 p.m. Engine 6 again called for police at 9:57 p.m. At 10:03 p.m., Engine 6 called for police to “step it up.” It should be noted that firefighters and EMS regularly complain about the amount of time it takes to get police to the scene. The police department, like many around the country, is having staffing issues.
EARLIER
A brawl involving several D.C. firefighters is now under investigation.
FOX 5 obtained video of the fight, which was shared on social media on Wednesday.
It appears to show several D.C. firefighters throwing punches on a sidewalk as the lights from their firetrucks can be seen flashing in the background.
Jasmine Hilton, The Washington Post:
Six people involved in the incident are on administrative leave while the department and D.C. police conduct an investigation, the statement says.
“The actions depicting in a video of the incident are completely unacceptable and do not reflect the behavior we require of our members,” the statement says.
