Chief wants firefighter to be fired
The chief said the firefighter endangered the public and police.
By PATRICIA MEADE
VINDICATOR CRIME REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Fire Chief John J. O'Neill Jr. is recommending that firefighter Daniel P. Drummond, accused of firing a shotgun while intoxicated, be fired.
"Although the charges are misdemeanors, he endangered the public and police officers," O'Neill said Wednesday. "In my eyes that's very serious."
Drummond, 29, of the city's West Side, has been on unpaid suspension since Oct. 17. He was hired in March 2000.
The chief said his recommendation that Drummond be fired is in a letter hand-delivered today to the firefighter and union. The recommendation will be considered by a predisciplinary hearing officer. The hearing is expected to take place next week.
If fired, Drummond has the right to file a grievance. Capt. Dave Cook, union president, said Wednesday that he had no comment at this time.
"I'm very disappointed in him and hope [residents] realize the vast majority of firefighters are good citizens and law-abiding civil servants," O'Neill said of Drummond. "This is embarrassing."
Patrolmen James Rowley and Joseph Moran were sent to the Nadyne Drive-Kirk Road area around 11:25 p.m. Oct. 15 to check out a report of gunfire. The officers heard a sound they recognized -- someone loading a round into a shotgun -- in the 2600 block of Kirk.
What happened
Rowley and Moran took cover behind a garage, heard sounds of someone fiddling with a shotgun and then saw Drummond on the side of the garage with a shotgun in hand. The officers drew their weapons and ordered Drummond to put the shotgun down and lie prone on the ground.
The officers noticed that Drummond had a strong odor of alcohol when he spoke and also slurred his words.
The firefighter, when asked why he had been shooting, said he feared being robbed by a man who had approached and threatened him, reports show. Police quoted Drummond as saying he was shooting in the ground to scare off the intruder.
Police confiscated the 12-gauge shotgun and collected three spent shells and one live shotgun shell from the garage area. They found another spent shell in Drummond's pants pocket.
O'Neill said he called the police chief and arresting officers to apologize for Drummond's conduct.
Charges, drug tests
Drummond was charged with using a weapon while intoxicated and discharging a firearm within city limits. He was arraigned Oct. 17 in municipal court and will be back in court Dec. 13 for a pretrial hearing.
O'Neill said he ordered that Drummond be tested for drugs and alcohol after the arraignment, and the firefighter tested positive. The chief decline to say what had been ingested.
"Independent of what happens in court, he tested positive for substance abuse before and went to rehabilitation in January 2003. This is his second infraction," O'Neill said. "I gave this a lot of thought. He admits he did it, and he endangered the public and police. This wasn't a bar fight where there's two sides to the story. The fact he shot a gun off between houses -- he could have killed a cop."
The firefighters' union contract allows for termination for a second substance abuse offense.
meade@vindy.com