By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
• Four Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department firefighters were arrested Jan. 23 on misdemeanor criminal mischief charges after a paintball incident in Jacksonville, Florida.
• The April 29 paintball shots struck a marked Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office patrol vehicle and other property in the LaVilla neighborhood near Fire Station 4.
• Investigators recovered paintballs and spent shells on the fire station roof and driveway, and officers saw personnel enter the station during the incident.
• All four firefighters have been reassigned to administrative duties pending an internal fire department investigation.
• The Jacksonville Fire Rescue Department said the matter will have no impact on public safety or daily operations.
JACKSONVILLE, FL — Four firefighters with the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department were booked on misdemeanor criminal mischief charges Jan. 23 following a Dec. 29 incident in which green paintballs struck a marked Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office patrol vehicle and other property near downtown.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said officers began investigating after an on-duty patrol officer discovered green paint splatters on his vehicle and a civilian reported similar damage in the LaVilla area near Fire Station 4.
Investigators located paint splatters on the roadway, traffic signs and surrounding surfaces, and recovered 14 red and green paintballs and spent shells on the fire station’s roof and driveway. Evidence suggested the paintballs were fired from an elevated position.
Detectives identified four fire department personnel, obtained arrest warrants and booked them into the Duval County Jail. The firefighters have since been reassigned to administrative duties while the department conducts its own internal inquiry.
The Jacksonville Fire Rescue Department issued a statement saying it is cooperating with law enforcement and that the arrests will not affect emergency services or staffing at the station where the incident occurred.