Winn firefighter arrested while working accident for not moving firetruck

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WINNFIELD (KTVE/KARD) - The Winnfield Fire Department says they went to the scene of a minor traffic accident and carried out their duties as a first responders.

Fire Chief Pat Keith says,"We were trying to help the people, who had the wreck, and assist the ambulance. Basically, we were doing our job."

However, the Winn Parish Sheriff's Department claims a firefighter did not move his truck when instructed to do so by a deputy.

Sheriff Cranford Jordan says,"This was a very minor wreck in the turning lane. The deputy was trying to keep the traffic flowing, and the fire truck was creating more of a traffic hazard than it was helping."

The fire department believes the fire fighter was clearing the scene for the safety of the first repsonders.

Jonathan Johnson, the a Winnfield fire fighter, says, "I explained to him that it was part of my duty to protect the scene and make it a safe working area. He told me there was no fire and a truck wasn't necessary. I told him we wre working the accident which required a truck. "

The fire department says the argument continued after the fire fighter left the scene.

Johnson says a sheriff's deputy followed him back to the fire station and then attempted to physically drag him out of the fire truck. He says he was then placed in a car and told he was under arrest.

The fire department claims the sheriff's deputy acted with unnecessary force during the event. The fire fighter was then taken to the courthouse where he was left shackled to a bench.

"It was embarassing. It was bad," says Johnson.

The sheriff's department says they did not do anything out of the ordinary during the incident.

"It is normal when a deputy arrest someone. We have a bench that has leg irons on it. Those under arrest usually sit on the bench with one leg iron attach to their leg," says Sheriff Jordan.

Jordan has been charged with disobeying an officer and released. He will appear in court on the charges at later date.

"It is disheartening that we are going through this as emergency responders. We were there to help people. That is exactly what we were called to do," says Chief Keith.

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