Firefighters Charged in Water-Related Incident

Two firefighters from Maryland are facing charges related to some rather questionable behavior involving water, as reported recently.

Montgomery County Fire Chief Christopher Riley and firefighter Alan Burns have been charged with three misdemeanors stemming from an incident this July. The situation unraveled during a high school baseball game when a ball hit one of their vehicles, prompting what can only be called watery revenge, according to NBC News.

Both firefighters are facing two counts of malicious destruction of property, along with one count of a disorderly act.

Montgomery County has stated that they are taking the matter seriously and are cooperating fully with the ongoing investigation.

In a curious twist, both Reilly and Burns mentioned that they have been temporarily removed from their duties and are currently in private contact status while the investigation unfolds.

Defense attorney Richard Finishi explained to NBC News that this water-related stunt was the result of a long-standing tension between firefighters and local baseball players.

Reports indicate that the fire chief directed police officers to allow the water to flow for about a minute before stopping it.

Interestingly, Burns was reportedly responsible for maneuvering the fire truck into position but didn’t actually handle the spigot himself.

The incident left the baseball field at Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring thoroughly soaked. This field is used by the Thunderbolts, a team in the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League.

The event was apparently triggered when a baseball struck Riley’s truck—and yes, it was clearly a home run.

“There are nine other leagues playing here. I’m not the only one who hit a home run,” stated Dick O’Connor, founder and director of the Thunderbolts, during an interview at the time.

As a result of this stunt, the baseball game had to be canceled, which understandably impacted the team’s income for that night.