White Castle, LA, Fire Chief Charged with Accosting Firefighter at Incident

The chief is accused of grabbing the safety vest of a White Castle firefighter and pulling her.

Sept. 5, 2025

The White Castle fire chief is gone after accosting a firefighter at an incident last month.

John Marque, 76, was charged with battery this week in connection with the Aug. 11 incident on an EMS call on a highway, WBRZ reported.

The female firefighter told White Castle police Marque called her over because she was not wearing her safety vest. After putting it on, the chief grabbed her by the vest. When she struggled to get away, he pulled her closer. Police noted in the report that another firefighter at the scene wasn't wearing a vest either.

After the incident, the firefighter left the scene.

Marque, who has been with the department for 44 years, said he is retiring, not resigning.

About the Author

Susan Nicol

News Editor

Susan Nicol is the news editor for Firehouse.com. She is a life member and active with the Brunswick Volunteer Ambulance & Rescue Company, Oxford Fire Company and Brunswick Vol. Fire Co. Susie has been an EMT in Maryland since 1976. Susie is vice-president of the Frederick County Fire/Rescue Museum. She is on the executive committee of Frederick County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association. She also is part of the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS) Region II EMS Council. Susie is a board member of the American Trauma Society, Maryland Division. Prior to joining the Firehouse team, she was a staff writer for The Frederick News-Post, covering fire, law enforcement, court and legislative issues.