It took a six-person jury just 19 minutes Wednesday to clear a Brockton, MA firefighter of being hydrated while carrying a gun last year. The firefighter, Jaime Barbosa, drew his .40 cal Glock twice while breaking up a brawl outside a watering hole involving two fellow firefighter buddies who had been attacked by an unknown pair of miscreants. You’d think he’d be in line for a commendation. Nope…
Responding police officer Christopher Perez wasn’t able to track down the two hoods who beat up the firemen. He did, however charge Barbosa who, he described as “slightly intoxicated,” without bothering to give him a breathalizer test. Other witnesses disagreed with the officer’s assessment.
Martin Tyrrell, an emergency medical technician with AMR ambulance service, testified Wednesday that as he and his partner treated the injured firefighters, who were lying in the street and on the sidewalk, Barbosa went back and forth between them, “basically triaging the two patients … basically making sure they were both OK.”
“He seemed completely sober,” Tyrrell said.
Tina Spardella, a registered nurse at Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital, said Barbosa was helpful that night when Albanese was brought to the emergency room suffering from a head injury.
“He was beat up pretty bad, bleeding, and also belligerent, yelling at the staff and screaming,” Spardella said.
Spardella said Barbosa was “very calm talking to the patient … His speech was clear, he had a steady gait, he was trying to get the patient to do what we wanted him to do.”
Police subsequently searched Barbosa’s home, finding 26 licensed heaters, most of which he was holding for a friend in the military who had been deployed. More evidence (did you really need any?) bolstering RF’s point that you’re not the good guy. No matter what you think.