Deputies were called in after a volunteer firefighter was assaulted by multiple people while trying to put out a structure fire.
The firefighter told officers he was the first person on the scene of a fire in Kitts Hill. He said he unrolled the hose and instructed other firefighters on the scene to man the hose. When he returned to turn on the pumper, a man on the scene screamed at him and said, “You stupid mother****r, put the car out, not the house.”
He said the man charged him and began swinging, hitting him in the face. Then, the angry man’s son tackled him and knocked him to the ground. The man’s wife then began to kick the firefighter.
Officers took photos of his injuries, and EMS transported the firefighter to the hospital for treatment.
Other firefighters confirmed they’d seen the family jump the man. When officers spoke to the man, he claimed the firefighter had shoved his finger in his face and struck him three times. He said he didn’t know who tackled the man.
Officers arrested the man for assault as well as misconduct at an emergency. They also learned he already had an open warrant. Police said they would forward the information about the Lawerence County Prosecutor’s Office for potential charges against the wife and son.
