Firefighter files lawsuit against CHP after being handcuffed at crash scene
Listen to radio traffic from the confrontation
Chula Vista firefighter handcuffed at crash scene
Chula Vista, California Firefighter Jake Gregoire is going ahead with a lawsuit after being handcuffed at a crash scene by California Highway Patrol Officer Sergio Flores in February.
When Gregoire initially announced his claim against the state his lawyer Dan Gilleon indicated the firefighter would be willing not to pursue a lawsuit if policies were changed to prevent future confrontations between firefighters and law enforcement in California. According to the attorney the state rejected that idea.
Gregoire was upset that both the Chula Vista Fire Department and CHP leaders referred to this as an isolated incident.
“I couldn’t live with myself for the rest of my life that someone could potentially be injured because I didn’t stand up for what I believe in,” Gregoire said during an interview in March.
Dan Gilleon, Gregoire’s attorney, said he uncovered a documented 2010 incident involving Flores threatening a firefighter with arrest.
“He knows if he back down, this is going to happen to someone else,” said Gilleon.
