GLENDALE, Ariz. — Officials have declined to prosecute a man accused of punching firefighters during a medical call in October.
AZ Central reported that police arrested James Murillo, 30, on suspicion of aggravated assault following the incident. His mugshot showed he sustained a black eye during the altercation after he was punched by the firefighters.
The crew responded to Murillo’s home on Oct. 26 after Murillo’s parents called and reported that he had had a seizure, according to the report. The crew spoke with him inside his parents’ home before they decided to take him to the hospital for a possible overdose.
They used three seat belts to strap him to a gurney, but he still had free movement of his hands and arms. On the way out of the house, he punched the firefighters. As everyone worked to control him, witnesses said his thrashing caused the gurney to fall over on its side.
The county attorney notified police in a memo sent Dec. 10, saying there was no reasonable likelihood of a conviction, according to the report.
The four firefighters involved in the altercation were placed on administrative leave with full pay and benefits shortly after a partial video of their interaction was posted on YouTube. The footage appeared to show the firefighters restraining Murillo and cursing at him.
All four firefighters are back at work. Two of the firefighters, who punched Murillo five or six times, have been reassigned to different divisions pending the outcome of an ongoing investigation, according to the report. The other two are back at their normal jobs.
“My, and I think most of our expectation, is that once the investigation is complete they are going to go back and continue to serve like they did before and do the best job they can for us,” said Joe Hester, president of the Glendale Fire Firefighters Association.
There is no timetable to complete the investigation.