A California Highway Patrol officer put an on-duty Chula Vista firefighter in handcuffs for refusing to move his truck while tending to victims of a car crash.
As he was being handcuffed on the side of the 805 Freeway near Orange County, the firefighter, 12-year veteran Jacob Gregoire, told reporters who had gathered, "I just want to let you all know he’s arresting me."
Later, according to CBS News 8, Gregoire told the arresting officer, whose name has not been released, "It’s unbelievable you guys have to treat us like this. We are trying to help you guys."
The officer replied, "We asked you to clear the road, you said ‘No.’ You are being arrested for not moving."
Gregoire was reportedly detained in the back of a highway patrol car for several minutes before being released. He was not charged.
Chula Vista Fire Chief Dave Hanneman told CBS, "To detain one of our firefighters in the middle of an incident is ridiculous."
In a statement, Hanneman praised the firefighters for doing what they were trained to do — protecting the scene of an accident with their trucks.
Hanneman told the San Diego Union-Tribune, "The CHP is going to investigate. I think a lot of this had to do with communication."
The Union-Tribune reports the car accident resulted in two injuries. One person was hospitalized.
The two sides have since made peace. In a joint statement, representatives from the police and fire departments announced this was an "isolated incident and not representative of the manner in which our agencies normally work together toward our common goal," CBS Los Angeles reported.
