FDNY Firefighters Brawl In ‘One Of The Most Severe Beatings Seen On Tape’ According To Insider
A massive brawl between members of the FDNY and NYPD, amongst others, has spurred multiple investigations into the conduct of several first responders, according to the New York Post. The video that has been shared internally with investigators and top departmental heads has left them shocked and dismayed, wondering what could have created such deep and violent chaos between members of their own ranks in the public service.
More than a dozen firefighters pummeled a trio of first responders from another borough with punches and kicks to the head, some delivered while the victim was already down and out of the fight, according to sources.
The tape shown to FDNY brass features Adam Soler, 35, of Engine 68, as he is restrained by two firefighters from Rescue Company 3. Soler is then repeatedly kicked by a third, according to sources familiar with the video who commented on the grisly scene that would go on to occur.
“Someone grabbed his head and started pounding it into the pavement.”
An FDNY insider described the footage as containing “one of the most severe beatings they’ve seen on tape… They [departmental executives] can’t believe one of the guys wasn’t killed.”
Soler suffered a concussion amongst other injuries and has been on medical leave from his role at the fire department since the events of June 6.
Captain Michael Nigro of Engine 68 became visibly shaken while watching the footage in question, according to departmental sources, ordering the tape be paused so that he might excuse himself momentarily to go outside and compose himself before continuing with the viewing.
“He went outside to compose himself before coming back in to watch the rest of it,” a source claimed.
FDNY brawl 'one of the most severe beatings seen on tape,' insider says https://t.co/XAlXkmR1CR
— Fox News (@FoxNews) August 19, 2018
According to Newser, the events leading up to the giant fracas began as firefighters were celebrating at Billy’s bar in proximity to Yankee Stadium following an awards ceremony. A few words were exchanged between the men of Engine 68 and Rescue Company 3 which escalated the tension and broke into violence when a Rescue Company 3 Captain allegedly hurled a racial slur at a black firefighter serving with Engine 68.
Fists began to fly and the brawl became quite serious as words were replaced with physical violence. The FDNY has identified six participants to the incident in addition to Soler, though none of those identified has been arrested and charged, nor fired. According to Fox News, all of the participants were subjected to a short suspension of one month with pay, with no further corrective action having been taken.
The brawl gestured towards shades of an earlier incident in 2003 taking place on New Year’s Eve at a Staten Island firehouse. There, firefighter Robert Walsh was severely beaten by a chair-wielding co-worker by the name of Michael Silvestri during a booze-thick party according to the New York Post.
