Florida firefighters allegedly waterboarded, whipped rookie over TikTok video as 4 face criminal charges

Nearly a twelve firefighters and paramedics were fired, and 4 are facing transgression charges, aft a 19-year-old rookie Florida firefighter was allegedly whipped and waterboarded successful a convulsive hazing incident.

The teen firefighter told authorities helium was hazed Nov. 26 during his second-ever displacement astatine Marion County Fire Rescue’s Fire Station 21, nicknamed the "friendship" station, aft colleagues tried to unit him to unlock his telephone to ticker a viral video helium posted connected TikTok.

Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said the incidental began erstwhile 4 metropolis employees astatine the firehouse wanted entree to a TikTok video from the rookie and "chased him down" successful the parking lot.

"Once they caught him, they removed his pants, took his belt, past began to onslaught him connected the backside with that belt," Woods said during a quality conference. "The telephone was taken … While they were trying to get into the phone, they took it adjacent a small spot further. They removed his underwear, and past again, began to onslaught him connected his backside, connected his bare skin."

A video, allegedly taken connected 1 of the suspect's compartment phones, showed footage of the incident.

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Woods said the rookie was dragged done the parking lot, astatine which constituent idiosyncratic retrieved a h2o vessel and a towel, and waterboarded him 3 times.

"The unfortunate fought and refused to cooperate and made it abundantly wide to each of them that this was extracurricular what helium thought, maybe, could beryllium perceived arsenic thing minor, and each of them should person known it," Woods said. "Unfortunately, they took it to this level."

Investigative interviews, transcripts and documents obtained by FOX 35 Orlando item the alleged attack.

Videos obtained by FOX 35 Orlando showed interviews with the 4 metropolis employees arrested successful transportation with the incident. (FOX 35)

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"One came down maine and similar held my arms and past dragged me," the 19-year-old firefighter told investigators. "[Tate Trauthwein] takes my loop disconnected my pants, and helium starts whipping maine successful my beforehand and then, aft that, [Edward Kenny] benignant of rolls implicit to the broadside a small spot and [Seth Day] grabs … benignant of my leg."

"I was like, ‘ow, ow.' I'm like, ‘this truly hurts.' I was like, ‘stop! stop!'" the rookie told investigators. "I couldn't breathe. … The lone happening I said [after the alleged attack] was that I'm ne'er moving present again and then, aft that, I left."

Ten employees were fired successful total, including elder enactment astatine the station, and 4 employees were criminally charged connected Nov. 26, according to records.

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The 19-year-old firefighter is backmost astatine enactment continuing to service the community, according to the occurrence department.

Tate Trauthwein, a 19-year-old firefighter/EMT who has been with the section for astir a year, is charged with kidnapping, artillery and robbery; Edward Kenny, a 22-year-old EMT who has been with the section for astir 3 years, is charged with kidnapping, artillery and robbery; Seth Day, a 22-year-old firefighter/EMT who has been with the section for astir 2 years, is charged with kidnapping, artillery and robbery; and Kaylee Bradley, a 25-year-old paramedic who has been with the section for astir 2 years, is charged with robbery and main accessory to robbery.

Bradley, who is accused of taking the rookie's telephone and videotaping the assault, acknowledged roughhousing was communal astatine the station, but told investigators immoderate of the employees "went mode excessively far," noting "that's past what they usually bash arsenic a joke," according to a video interrogation recorded by authorities.

The incidental allegedly happened astatine Marion County Fire Rescue Station 21 successful Florida, according to authorities.

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Marion County Fire Chief James Banta said during the quality league the incidental was a "disturbing usurpation of everything that this assemblage stands for."

"What occurred was unacceptable, inexcusable and fundamentally contrary to the halfway values of our occurrence department," Banta said. "Let maine beryllium perfectly clear, these individuals progressive successful this incidental forfeited their close to deterioration the azygous the infinitesimal they chose an enactment and mode that endangered, harmed and betrayed a chap firefighter. Their behaviour does not bespeak who we are and what we basal for successful our community."

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Banta added that, extracurricular the ongoing transgression case, the occurrence section is reviewing the probe completed by the Marion County Sheriff's Office, which "may see the actions oregon inactions of others who whitethorn person been alert and oregon contiguous during this incident."

If further argumentation violations are identified, Banta said further administrative actions volition follow.

Investigations by the occurrence section and sheriff's bureau stay ongoing.