UPDATED: Is this the fire department version of stolen valor?
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NEW: Listen to Jerry Hickman talk about the “stolen valor” controversy
WEDNESDAY EVENING UPDATE
Since STATter911.com published this story last (Tuesday) night about the dispute surrounding a Delaware man’s controversial Facebook post containing an iconic image of Evansville Fire Department Captain Don Spindler with a young fire victim in his arms, there have been a few developments.
Topping the list is that Mr. Hickman has now made the news in Evansville, Indiana. Watch the video above or read more here from WFIE-TV.
You will notice that Adam Bigge, an Evansville firefighter is interviewed in the TV report. Adam was among the first to comment on my story and has been pushing this issue on the Indiana end. Adam was kind enough to send me the emails he exchanged with Jerry Hickman before all of this became public. When I asked if this was something I could share with our readers, Adam wrote back:
In the interest of transparency, I think it best to share the entire exchange. I don’t want to hide anything. I was a bit smug in the beginning (I was a bit miffed) but I think in toto, the exchange puts everything into the proper context.
The image below is from one of the emails from Hickman to Adam. Click here to see all of the emails.
My contact with Mr. Hickman was not as fruitful. While we have been exchanging messages since last night with there has been nothing on the record or off that provides answers to the following questions I’ve presented to Hickman multiple times:
- Can you please show us the original picture you say is altered?
- Can you please share the fire company, ambulance company or jurisdiction where the fire you were involved in occurred?
- What law enforcement agency is investigating this and has issued warrants?
- What crime is the law enforcement agency investigating?
As you know, Hickman continues to maintain the image we are seeing from Evansville is not the image he originally posted. He has maintained in his Facebook comments that his image is with a different child in his arms, wearing different PPE, taken about 15-years-ago. Since last night’s story, Mr. Hickman posted another Facebook message on Aaron Moore’s DelMarVA Firefighter’s forum offering two different rewards.
Mr. Hickman’s claim on the $1000 reward apparently is that in his picture, he is just receiving the child from another firefighter and never said he actually made the rescue. The $5000 reward appears to be for finding those he says altered the image.
We have also learned that the initial person to make this discovery and confront Mr. Hickman is Chris Dufresne, a firefighter in Washington, DC. Here is the initial message from Chris to Jerry Hickman:
In addition to the comments from Captain Spindler’s family, DelMarVa Firefighters Forum received this comment:
Sara Shaffer, who has been in touch with Mendi Evans added the following:
I would like to bring forth some information on the family of the two little girls who were rescued by the Evansville FD.
Mendi Evans is the grandmother who has custody of the girls, she has been caring for them since the fire. Aaliyah the oldest has made a full recovery in the physical sense, while Akeleigh suffered brain damage. Both girls still need weekly appointments for counseling, therapy and doctors. In October 2014the family’s van was stolen and damaged beyond repair/use. They haven’t been able to get another one.
I have been in contact with the grandmother, Mendi and she has explained how hard things have been financially and now that the van is destroyed, it has become severely stressful. Something good needs to come out of this “stolen valor” scandal. That needs to be additional fundraising for the family.
I have started collecting items for care packages. We are sending household cleaning items, bathroom necessities, school supplies and treats, and hopefully cloths for both girls that they can grow into.
We have also discussed setting up a gofundme to help contribute to a van or SUV. But there is also a fund set up at a local Evansville Bank.
TUESDAY EVENING
You be the judge. A man in Laurel, Delaware who works for a company that provides lighting for your home to alert firefighters, finds himself in the middle of a controversy over a well known photo of Evansville, Indiana Captain Don Spindler carrying a young girl from an apartment fire in 2011. As you can see above, Aaron Moore, a firefighter and publisher of DelMarVa Firefighters Forum on Facebook provided screen grabs today (Tuesday) showing the post where Jerry Hickman seems to claim that he is the firefighter in the picture posted. When questioned about this, Hickman wrote that the original image that he was referring to is different than what we see now. He claims the image with his Facebook post had been changed by two people, including one in Indiana, who are known to Mr. Hickman.
There are many comments from people calling this an issue of “stolen valor”. At least two of the comments are from Captain Spindler’s family.
I made contact with Jerry Hickman before posting this looking for at least a fire company name, a jurisdiction or any information about the original photo that he says shows him carrying a child fire victim. Hickman was unwilling or unable to provide that information.
Hickman has posted that warrants have been signed, that police are investigating his claims and that civil litigation will follow. To be fair to Mr. Hickman, I am showing all his Facebook posts on this issue I could find so that his side of the story is heard. The ones below with the white background are from the DelMarVa Firefighters Forum image showing the posts that followed Hickman’s January 15 post of his picture. The others were from Mr. Hickman’s Facebook account posted today (Tuesday). I’ve offered Mr. Hickman an opportunity to explain this further at any time.
