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A CHP officer was captured on camera arresting a firefighter who responded to the scene of a car crash in Chula Vista last night.
Chula Vista Firefighter Jacob Gregoire, 36, responded to the scene of a crash on the 805 Freeway at 9:20 p.m. Tuesday night. One car had overturned, another had fallen down an embankment and two people were reported injured (one was hospitalized), according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Gregoire parked the truck in the center divider in a way that is meant to protect victims as they were being loaded inside an ambulance. Chula Vista Fire Chief Dave Hanneman told the Tribune, "Our firefighters are trained to use the engine to protect the scene. Our No. 1 priority is the safety of our firefighters and patients."
But a CHP officer who responded to the scene later wasn't happy with the way that the truck was parked, and he asked Gregoire to move it. Gregoire refused and went back to helping the crash victims, a local CBS affiliate reported. The dispute escalated quickly, and Hanneman said the CHP officer threatened to arrest Gregoire: "The officer said, 'No, you need to move now or you'll be arrested.'"
The officer then proceeded to cuff Gregoire in full view of a TV news camera, while other firefighters worked to help the victims. Gregoire was detained in the back of a CHP squad car for about a half hour until the supervisors from both agencies arrived. Here's the CBS newscast that includes footage of Gregoire being cuffed:
CHP told news outlets that they weren't offering comment until the incident was investigated. Hanneman told CBS, "To detain one of our firefighters in the middle of an incident is ridiculous."
Related:
Listen To The Radio Calls That Led To Jerk CHP Officer Handcuffing A Firefighter
