A shocking video of a California police officer handcuffing a firefighter as he attempted to rescue victims of a car crash has resurfaced.
Jacob Gregoire was cuffed, searched and held in a California Highway Patrol car for 30 minutes because he refused to move his fire engine positioned to shield rescue workers and victims from surrounding traffic.
The Chula Vista Fire department maintained that Gregoire had followed protocol to protect victims during the incident in 2014.
Fire chief Dave Hanneman commented at the time:
To detain one of our firefighters in the middle of an incident is ridiculous.
My engineers and all the crews did exactly what they're trained to do.
Gregoire was told he was being arrested for refusing to relocate his vehicle.
A police officer at the scene said:
It’s unbelievable you have to do this.
We asked you to clear the road and you said no, and you are getting arrested for not moving it.
A Chula Vista Police spokesperson later added that Gregoire's vehicle was the only one out of three that wasn't moved at officers's request.
No charges were filed against Gregoire.
But he did later bring a civil case against arresting officer Sergio Florres and the California Highway Patrol.
The incident has resurfaced as people discuss the role and powers police have in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests.
COP ARRESTS FIREFIGHTER IN THE MIDDLE OF SAVING SOMEONES LIFE BECAUSE FIRE TRUCK WAS 1 MILLIMETER OVER THE LINE
— DEFUND KAREN®️ (@instrumelo) July 15, 2020
BLM: https://t.co/yXTDJ70Oki pic.twitter.com/HZ1pGpHz1B
This is from 2014, but rather than reduce the significance, it shows that this is not a new problem. The police have ALWAYS been this out of control. It's just that it's only receiving public attention now in the age of social media and ubiquitous phones with recording capacity.
— Aγάπη Kittyfox (@ArmlessKittyfox) July 15, 2020
The shows how law enforcement has lost it's perspective. They want absolute & total compliance - regardless of the insanity if the issue. Those trucks are parked that way so as to protect the victims & responders. If officers were doing traffic control, it would not be necessary!
— Fredflintstone (@iknowitallboyz) July 16, 2020
After the heartbreaking death of George Floyd, some people began to call for the police to be defunded or abolished.
They argued that money spent on police departments could be better spent on social workers who could take on some of the work that police currently carry out.
This resurfaced incident is one of many that's being viewed through this lens.
