By Muri Assunção
New York Daily News
MARION COUNTY, Fla. — Three firefighters and one paramedic in north-central Florida are facing criminal charges after the “violent hazing” of a co-worker, authorities announced Wednesday.
The four Marion County Fire Rescue employees are accused of chasing down a 19-year-old co-worker and removing his pants, before beating him with his belt and even waterboarding him — all over a TikTok video.
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The shocking incident unfolded on Nov. 16 at Fire Station 21 in Ocala, about 80 miles northwest of Orlando. According to Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods, the four individuals — three men and a woman — wanted to see a TikTok video the victim had on his phone, but he refused to share it.
They began smearing grease on the victim before chasing him down in the parking lot, Woods said at a press conference Wednesday afternoon. Once they caught him, they removed his pants, took his belt and used it to strike him “on the backside.”
With the victim still refusing to hand over his phone, the group took it by force and demanded his passcode, which he again refused to provide.
While still trying to get into the phone, the four individuals escalated the situation by removing the victim’s underwear and beating him again “on his bare skin,” Woods said.
At some point, they decided to get a bottle of water and a towel and waterboarded him three times, the victim told police.
“During this whole incident, the victim fought, refused to cooperate and made it abundantly clear to each of them that this was outside of what he thought could be perceived as something minor, and each of them should have known it,” the sheriff said.
Slamming their behavior as “unacceptable, inexcusable and fundamentally contrary to the core values of our fire department,” Marion County Fire Chief James Banta said all four individuals have since been fired.
Firefighters Tate Trauthwein, 19, Edward Kenny III and Seth Day, both 22, were arrested for kidnapping, robbery and battery.
Kaylee Bradley, a 25-year-old paramedic who had been with the department for two years, was charged with robbery and as a principal accessory to robbery, officials said.
“In my 30 years as a firefighter, this is the most egregious thing that I’ve seen reported to me,” Banta said, adding he was “in shock and disgusted” by the alleged behavior.
The unidentified victim remains on the job, choosing not to take leave.
“(The victim) still wants to be at work. He still is not giving up, and keeping him there is the right thing to do,” Woods said.
WATCH | Emily Hitchings and Greg Friese discuss this incident on The Brief: Wellness Edition
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