A D.C. firefighter, who officials said retired to his bunk to study for a promotional exam instead of helping a dying man outside a fire station in January, told investigators that he tried but failed to get colleagues to intervene, reports The Washington Post.
DEATH BRINGS FOCUS TO D.C. FIRE CADET PROGRAM
Garrett Murphy told investigators that when his efforts failed, he stood in the bay door, watched the scene across the street and then went to read. The fire department is seeking to fire Murphy, calling his explanation and lack of action egregious.
“Murphy demonstrated even greater lack of concern for the patient by apparently doing nothing for 10 minutes, then going to his car, gathering his personal items and returning to the bunk room,” according to administrative charging documents outlining a case of alleged misconduct, negligence and neglect of duty.
Murphy, a seven-year veteran, is the fourth and final firefighter to undergo a disciplinary hearing after the Jan. 25 death of 77-year-old Medric “Cecil” Mills Jr., who collapsed near a firehouse on Rhode Island Avenue in Northeast and later died at a hospital of a heart attack. Murphy’s attorney has not returned repeated phone calls.
Firefighters inside the station failed to help Mills, telling at least two bystanders who had banged on the station’s door that they could do nothing until someone called 911 and they were dispatched.
All the hearings have been closed to the public, angering members of the Mills family, who point out that D.C. officials assured them that the investigation would be transparent.
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