California police officer handcuffs firefighter as he was rescuing victims...
 

...was he right to do so, in your opinion..?...







A long-simmering feud between San Diego-area fire departments and police came to a head Tuesday when an officer handcuffed a firefighter for not moving his truck as he was trying to rescue victims from an accident.

Video from the accident scene shows a California Highway Patrol officer arresting Chula Vista firefighter Jacob Gregoire, 36, after refusing to move a fire truck positioned to shield rescue workers and accident victims from fast moving traffic along the side of a busy freeway.

The unidentified CHP officer cuffed the first responder and put him in the back of a squad car for 30 minutes, according to CBS 8, which also reported that CHP officers and firefighters have battled over accident scene protocol in the past


Radio communication obtained by ABC 10 showed how shocked firefighters were at the sight of an emergency responder being cuffed and led away from the scene of a serious accident while trying to help the injured.

'I did not move our engine so it's still in the initial spot, and we're just continuing with patient care,' a firefighter told the dispatcher.

'This is ridiculous. We're in the middle of patient care with patients on the [freeway] and we're trying to protect our scene … and they're putting him in handcuffs at this time and walking him away.'

Chula Vista Fire Chief Dave Hanneman agreed.

‘To detain one of our firefighters in the middle of an incident is ridiculous,’ he said in a statement.

Gregoire shouted to the news camera that he was being arrested as the officer searched his coat and pulled out handcuffs.

‘Hey, I just want you to know that he’s arresting me,’ Gregoire said, pointing to the officer.

‘It’s unbelievable you have to do this,’ the officer said while cuffing the 12 year veteran firefighter.

‘It’s unbelievable that you guys have to treat us like this,’ Gregoire replied. ‘We are on the road trying to help people.’

‘We asked you to clear the road and you said no, and you are getting arrested for not moving it,’ said the officer

The officer is then seen leading Gregoire away while his colleagues continue to tend to the victims of the rollover crash. He was held in the back of the police car for about 30 minutes.

A CHP spokesperson told the station that Gregoire’s fire truck was the only was the only one out of three not moved in compliance with the officer’s request, but fire officials say he was within his rights to not move the truck.

‘My engineers and all the crews did exactly what they're trained to do,’ Hanneman told the station.

Fire officials also said the police officer also ordered a fire truck with an on duty paramedic to leave before first aid was finished being administered.

Two people were injured after their Ford mustang hit the barrier, overturned and landed in a construction site, according to ABC 10, their conditions are not known

The president of the local firefighters union agreed.

‘I'm very proud of Jacob. He did a good job,’ said John Hess. ‘He made all firefighters look good. He was there to protect the citizens and he was willing to take a stand to do that.’

Commenters on the station’s Facebook page sided with Gregoire.

‘As a firefighter with 30 years experience responding to exactly this kind of incident, I can assure you that the truck was properly placed to provide maximum safety to the crews,’ wrote Ernest Chiardonna


‘I normally give Cops the benefit of the doubt, but in this case I can't see any way this couldn't have been handled after the incident,’ James Johnson added.

One commenter detailed his issues with the CHP.

‘I have been a fire fighter for almost 30 years… in the last few years have had several (6+) incidents with local CHP Officers over where we have parked our engines on incidents,’ Gregory White recalled.

‘We have had a CHP attempt to cuff a captain, chest butt, threaten and curse firefighters during the incidents,’ he continued


Fire officials echoed White's comments, telling CBS 8 there have been several run-ins between CHP officers and firfighters in recent years - but this is the first one that ended in arrest.

Several other firefighters explained that the truck was properly positioned to protect all individuals at the scene, police included.

The officer has not been publicly named by the CHP, and it is not clear if any disciplinary action will be taken.

No charges were filed against Gregoire, he continued the rest of his shift after being released.

In 2008, a Missouri jury awarded a firefighter more than $17,000 for a false arrest over a similar incident, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.

It is not clear if Gregoire will take legal action


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...y-highway.html

There were plenty of firefighters that were not busy helping, one of them should have moved the fire truck. Seems like the firefighters think they can do whatever they want when they arrive at a scene. The cops are in charge of traffic, they know what they are doing. Firefighters have NOTHING to do with traffic, and they have no idea what's safe or unsafe, if the cops think they can open a lane to start letting traffic through the firefighters have no right to stop them. The firefighters seem to think it's perfectly fine to just shut drown the entire road for as long as they like.

Can't let little things like fires get in the way of drivers, no sirree.

there was no fire. it was a car accident, and nothing was on fire. They send a firetruck even for things that have nothing to do with fire, because the firestation has the EMTs. They even send firetrucks to drug overdoses.
It's the cops jobs to direct traffic, not the fire crew. Why do the firemen think they are above the cops? that's the real issue. the firemen think they can do whatever they want, and be treated like heroes.

To cuff the friefighter in middle of an emergency is frankly stupid. Couldn't the cop wait till things were a little calmer to make his point.

The firefighter he cuffed was not saving anyone's life. Emergency scenes are not like you see in the movies.

people have a silly romanticized view of firefighters.

Yes Alex
thats true

Silly me for thinking it was a movie style emergency scene. My point was, to cuff the firefighter during the scene was frankly pointless and served no purpose other than to make a point about who was in charge which I feel could have waited till the scene had ended.

and what about the people who are trying to get to a hospital including ambulances that are stuck in that traffic that the cops are trying to get moving? The idea that the entire road should be closed for as long as the firefighters are on the scene is ridiculous. It's the CHP's job to get traffic moving again as soon as is safe, and the CHP knows better what's safe and what's not when it comes to traffic.

Some firefighters seem to think the entire world should stop for them.

Were there ambulances trying to get to hospital? If not then your point is not valid. The issue seems to be a p*ssing contest between the two departments and my initial point stands; they could have sorted that stuff out after the scene had been cleared.

it's not just ambulances, most people don;'t use ambulances to drive to the hospital, and who knows who was trapped in that back up, the point is, you want to get the traffic moving as soon as possible, do you disagree with that?

Stupid cop

Yes. I don't think it was about the traffic moving, it appears to be about the fire-fighter respecting the cops authority.

Another day, another story about incompetent American police officers, it's like they'll give anyone a badge and a gun these days.

I blame 11/9 (I'm reclaiming the calendar back).

Another day, another person that blames cops for everything, but would be hiding in a corner if they actually had to face even half of what cops have to face on a day to day basis.

how brave of you, and never done a million times by a million other anti-american brits on the Guardian website... so original and edgy.

It was actually a Stewart Lee joke, but I still blame it for the romanticised view of the fire service.

The Police do have a hard job but they also have a lot of power and should be held to high standards because it's apparent that abuse is rife. If they do something wrong, stupid or abusive they should be given hell over it because when a Police Officer makes a mistake it can cost lives. If they can't handle that responsibility then they shouldn't be in the Police Force.

Incompetence should not be accepted or celebrated by blind hero worship and useless defensive reflection.

:worship:

Ridiculous copper with an over-inflated sense of his own importance. Hope that none of his family are ever waiting to be rescued while he dicks around trying to be the main man. I thought emergency services worked together for the good of everyone. Not in this case though.

Although... a fireman in handcuffs isn't the worst image I've been fed today.

My brothers a firefighter,there's nothing romantic about it from what I see and hear.

:joker::joker::joker::joker:
Comedy gold.