Two firefighters in Maryland are facing misdemeanor charges after they allegedly sprayed water on a baseball field from a fire truck during a longstanding dispute involving the fire department’s property.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=io3gokr4tqu
Montgomery County Fire Chief Christopher Riley and firefighter Alan Burns have been charged with three misdemeanors related to this incident, which occurred this July, as reported by NBC News.
According to reports, the firefighters released water after a home run ball struck a pickup truck belonging to one of them during a practice session for a college league team.
Both face two counts of malicious destruction of property and one count of disorderly conduct.
This incident resulted in the cancellation of a game for the Silver Spring Takoma Thunderbolts, a team in the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League.
The league plays at Montgomery Blair High School, which is near Silver Spring Fire Station 16.
“The Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service takes this matter seriously and is cooperating with the investigation,” the county stated on Wednesday.
They added that the two firefighters have been “removed from operational duties and placed on private contact status.”
Defense attorney Richard Finsi mentioned to NBC News that this incident stems from an ongoing conflict between the firefighters and the baseball players.
The fire chief reportedly allowed the water to flow for about a minute before stopping it, according to charges obtained by the network.
Other firefighters involved allegedly operated the truck but did not directly use the spigot.
“There are other leagues that play here. I’m not the only one who hit a home run,” stated Dick O’Connor, founder and director of the Thunderbolts, in a July interview with Seven News.
Thunderbolts outfielder Aiden Driscoll described the incident as odd, particularly since a game was previously canceled due to stormy weather.
“I doubt fire trucks will rain on the field again during my baseball career,” he remarked to an ABC affiliate. “I mean, there’s a chance it could rain, but I doubt it’ll be with a fire truck.”
