WASHINGTON 鈥� A volunteer firefighter claims a career firefighter attacked him while they were both responding to a house fire in Berwyn Heights, Maryland.
It鈥檚 the second time such an assault has been reported in recent years: Two volunteer firefighters were acquitted in May of attacking two career firefighters in .
confirmed that “my detective is investigating second-degree assault”聽in the Berwyn Heights incident Sunday afternoon. Antolik said he expects his department’s findings on the assault allegation will be forwarded to the county State’s Attorney’s Office by next week.
On Monday, Antolik聽said,聽a volunteer firefighter reporting back pain called police and said聽a career firefighter attacked him at the fire scene on Sunday on Ruatan Street, near Greenbelt Road and Route 201, at about 1:30 p.m.
Both firefighters have been removed from emergency operations聽pending an internal investigation, said Prince George’s County Fire and EMS spokesman Mark Brady.
Brady聽acknowledges a long history of tension between career and volunteers in the county, but said it鈥檚 too early to say what sparked Sunday鈥檚 altercation.
“I would not necessarily put a label on this incident, as of yet,” Brady said. “Some type of altercation between two firefighters is the exception, and is not the rule.”
He added that tensions between career and volunteer firefighters 鈥渉ave gotten better 鈥� a lot better 鈥� over time.鈥�
Chief Antolik said the dispute among people sharing the same mission is disturbing and unprofessional.
“Regardless of whether they’re volunteers or career, they have a profession,” Antolik said. “Protect the citizens of Prince George鈥檚 County and put out the fire.”
Brady said the incident had no effect on the efforts to extinguish the fire.
The homeowner on Ruatan Street may face charges, Antolik said. It’s illegal in Prince George’s County .
