Mar. 23—A Buffalo firefighter who was seriously injured in an incident at a South Buffalo restaurant Saturday remained in critical condition Wednesday and a second Buffalo firefighter was suspended without pay.
No charges have been filed in connection with the incident , but police are conducting an investigation and a separate fire department investigation is underway.
A source confirmed the names of the injured firefighter as Derek Rose and the suspended firefighter as Richard Manley. Those names were first reported by Eyewitness News.
It is not clear exactly what happened at the Blackthorn Restaurant and Pub on Saturday.
According to police, emergency responders were dispatched to a "rescue call" at the restaurant on Seneca Street in South Buffalo shortly before 5:30 p.m. that day.
A firefighter who was in uniform after marching in the Old Neighborhood St. Patrick's Day parade was found badly hurt and taken to Erie County Medical Center, where he remained Wednesday.
Manley was suspended without pay for 30 days in connection to the Saturday incident, according to a statement from Buffalo Fire Commission William Renaldo on Wednesday.
Tuesday, at a news conference, Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn Jr. criticized those at the Blackthorn who witnessed what happened but haven't come forward to authorities.
There were numerous other firefighters in uniform at the bar, Flynn said, along with other St. Patrick's Day revelers, Flynn said.
"Let's just say that the cooperation is lacking," he told reporters.
It is possible that a crime wasn't committed, but there's no way to know that until witnesses provide information, Flynn said.
In the meantime, a friend of Rose's started a GoFundMe campaign to help the injured firefighter's family. He wrote that Rose suffered a head injury and has undergone multiple surgeries.
"Those who know Derek also know that he would give the shirt off his back for a stranger and risk his life daily for the safety of his fellow man. The family needs all the support we can give at this time," the friend wrote.
The page shows a picture of Rose with a woman and two young children.
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