False accusations can disrupt the lives of anyone. It doesn’t matter if you are a civilian, Dallas official, government worker, a parent or Fort Worth firefighter. It’s possible that criminal charges can be brought against you for something you didn’t do.
As is often the case, conflicting stories in a murder investigation resulted in the arrest of a local firefighter while he was in a neighboring state. The prosecuting attorney reportedly determined that the man acted in self-defense and, therefore, the murder charge against him was dropped.
The investigation revealed that two men and one woman conspired to rob the firefighter after she had offered him a ride. Seated in the front with the woman driver, the victim was allegedly hit several times in the head. He stated he pulled out his gun in an attempt to defend himself, but was disarmed. As the assault continued, the firefighter used his knife to lunge at the two men. One man was cut and later died at a local hospital. After the struggle, the three co-conspirators left him on the side of the road, where he was later found.
The two remaining suspects have been arrested. They allege that the victim was arguing with the dead man and lunged at him with the knife. Investigators now believe the 40-year-old Texas man was the target of a robbery and acted in self-defense. An internal investigation by the Fort Worth Fire Department has been closed as well. Until he is able to return to work, the firefighter has been assigned to an administrative position.
Because of the investigation results, the innocence of the accused in this case was determined without a criminal trial. Often, however, it’s necessary to formulate a defense of criminal charges because the facts of the matter aren’t clear to the authorities. Long-term consequences can be affected if there isn’t careful consideration and evaluation of the circumstances surrounding such allegations.
Source:
Star-Telegram.com, “Fort Worth firefighter cleared in Arkansas homicide case” Domingo Ramirez Jr., Nov. 25, 2013