A Boston firefighters union has criticized the release of autopsy results on two firefighters, saying it has placed an “undeserved emotional trauma” on their families.
In a statement released by Local 718, President Edward Kelly demanded a probe into the leak of the results.
Media reports claim the findings indicate Paul Cahill had more than three times the legal limit of alcohol in his blood, while Warren Payne had traces of cocaine in his system.
The pair died tackling a fire at a Chinese restaurant in August.
“The reckless and illegal release of confidential information has placed an undeserved emotional trauma on the Cahill and Payne families at a time when the grief and suffering from their loss is ongoing,” Kelly said in the statement.
“There is one undeniable and indisputable fact. Two Boston firefighters were killed in the line of duty due to a violent building explosion.”
He went on to call for a criminal investigation into how media obtained the results.
Autopsy findings are not public documents in Massachusetts.
Boston Mayor Thomas Menino called Thursday for a review of the city’s fire department in the wake of the allegations
“I will order a stem to stern look at the procedures and practices of our fire department in the City of Boston,” the Associated Press reported Menino as saying.
The release of the autopsy details sparked a legal battle Wednesday when lawyers from Local 718 went to court to prevent a local television station reporting on the claims, but two local newspapers later both ran the story.