A fifth Jacksonville firefighter has been placed on administrative leave in relation to a December paintball shooting incident. This comes after four other firefighters were previously arrested and reassigned to administrative duties for their involvement. The paintball "prank war" resulted in shots fired at a police car, civilian vehicles, and city property near the downtown Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department Station 4, reports News4JAX.
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office (JSO) charged the four firefighters with criminal mischief as a part of investigation that unveiled the prank war. One of the implicated, now under administrative leave, remains unnamed and is not arrested yet. According to the Jacksonville.com, investigators were to thoroughly determine the involvement of the additional firefighter.
Arrest reports indicated that a paintball gun, initially received as a gift during a holiday "White Elephant" gift exchange, was used in the incident. The JSO Integrity Unit conducted noncustodial interviews with city employees and the initial denials eventually led to the charges. News4JAX reported that JSO had a clerical error that delayed the release of records pertaining to the incident until three days after the arrest.
The investigation began when a civilian, William Sousa, reported his vehicle was hit by paintballs while stopped at a red light, an experience he described to Action News Jax as being under attack. "I heard the first few thuds hit my car and I thought, 'What the hell is going on?'" Sousa said. The incident was also confirmed to have included paintballs hitting traffic signs and the JSO patrol vehicle.
The JFRD has assured that the incident has had no impact on its operations or on public safety, reiterating its commitment to high standards of conduct and accountability in a statement.
