MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. — Two Montgomery County firefighters face malicious destruction and disorderly conduct charges after one admitted to flooding a local baseball field on July 17.
Police say thousands of gallons of water was sprayed from a fire engine, a scene captured in a viral video showing a high plume drenching the diamond, NBC Washington reported.
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A charging document says Fire Captain Christopher Reilly told two players who came to the station to object, “I wanted to get your attention.” He later explained to police that he flooded the field out of frustration after baseballs repeatedly hit personal vehicles and equipment at the adjacent fire station.
A second firefighter, Alan Barnes, is also charged. The charging document says Barnes backed the fire engine out of the firehouse and removed hose, after which the video shows Reilly atop the fire engine spraying the field for about three minutes.
The charging document notes that fans had already paid and arrived for the Cal Ripken League game, and they had to be refunded after the matchup was canceled.
Malicious destruction of property is punishable by up to three years in prison.
A Montgomery County Fire spokesperson told NBC Washington that both firefighters have been taken off duty and placed in non-public roles while the case proceeds.
What do you think should be the appropriate departmental or legal consequences in a case like this — and why? Readers weigh in:
- “Demotion to lower rank, if not suspension for five days.”
- “30 days, no pay. Legal system — probation.”
- “Community service.”
- “Charge him the cost of the water, restitution, make him pick up trash for a month every day and bust him down to recruit. The one represents the many, and you just tossed out your department’s reputation, and you should be dropped from the department.”
- “Any possible legal consequences are beyond the scope of the FD. Department actions should include termination for the company officer and an extended suspension for the two firefighters involved.”
- “As public servants we are, rightly, held to a higher standard. The actions reflect poorly on all of us. While the problem appears to be a long-standing issue, there were other options to correct it, which were not taken. Unfortunately, the current legal environment does not provide an option for restorative justice, which would be the best option, which leaves the final option as being that the two should be given the opportunity to resign in lieu of termination and that criminal proceedings should move forward with the consequences set by a jury of community members.”
- “Fire them if they are paid employees! If they are volunteers, terminate them also. There is no place for a line officer to give an order to do harm to the public! The subordinate should know RIGHT from WRONG and should have never followed the order from the captain!”
- “The firefighters were frustrated with repeated attacks on the fire station, even after the baseball teams were requested to hit the balls somewhere else. This was not the first time the teams were warned. And the attack at the station and vehicles was not the first time. The teams would intentionally hit balls from the outfield at the station. Why aren’t the players, coaches and field sponsors at Blair High School not being charged for malicious destruction of government and private property?”
- “In emergency services, we get frustrated for many reasons. But doing things like this that cause damage, both physical as well as emotional, is not acceptable from anyone, especially from emergency service workers. We struggle with the public’s perception of what we do, and this just destroyed all the good we have done. In this instance, the problem could have been resolved in a very proactive way and help continue to build trust and respect for want we do.”
- “Really, what’s the deal over this? The coaching staff (or whoever takes care of the fields) should have done a better job to prevent balls from leaving the field. It’s not the fire department’s responsibility to have to worry about their vehicles from being damaged from stray baseballs. Flooding the field was a harmless way of taking care of business.”
What’s your take?
