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PORTLAND, Ore.-- The Portland Fire Bureau has pulled one of its most experienced firefighters off the streets after the man was caught on tape, involved in a confrontation between a citizen and several firefighters.
The video was recorded early Thursday morning at a downtown Portland apartment building and shows a Portland Fire Bureau lieutenant kicking a man who was being held down on the ground.
The man who was kicked does admit that he was being verbally abusive toward the firefighters. The video of the confrontation is sending shock waves through the Portland Fire Bureau.
The surveillance video shows Terry DeGeorge walking through his apartment building's lobby where firefighters are helping someone on a couch who is complaining of a headache. Here is an account of what happened next:
- DeGeorge walks in and out of the lobby. The tape does not have any sound, but DeGeorge admits he was annoyed that the firefighters were there. "My rage led to the fireman's rage," he said. "I was loud, probably at a time that I shouldn't have been."
- DeGeorge argues with a firefighter, Lieutenant Robert Bedgood.
- DeGeorge walks back out the door, then stops, turns around and starts shouting at Bedgood.
- A few words are exchanged and then another firefighter grabs DeGeorge.
- The two struggle. This lasts for several seconds as other firefighters help force DeGeorge to the ground.
- DeGeorge struggles to stand up, but you never see him strike another firefighter.
- It takes about 20 seconds for the firefighters to pin DeGeorge to the ground.
- Then Bedgood steps in and kicks DeGeorge three times. "The kicking was unnecessary," DeGeorge said. "Maybe in their minds it wasn't. I don't know."
DeGeorge spoke to KATU News in the same lobby where the struggle happened. He had injuries on his face and bruises on his legs and arms. He said he may have been loud and intimidating, but he did not deserve the treatment he got. "Everybody has a bad day," he said. "I wasn't having a good one. Maybe a couple of those guys weren't either."
Firefighters have a copy of the tape and Bedgood is no longer on the street. He is now working a desk job.
When KATU News asked Lt. Allen Oswalt with the Portland Fire Bureau whether he could envision a circumstance where it would be OK for a firefighter to tackle somebody who had not assaulted anyone, he said "there are ways to verbally intimidate or verbally assault people. I don't know what was going on. We do have eyewitness reports of the language that was used and some of the things that were said."
The incident is under investigation by the Portland Police Bureau. According to an initial police report, DeGeorge was cussing and firefighters felt threatened by him.
Republished with permission of KATU.
