DETROIT (WXYZ) — Wayne County’s prosecutor is considering criminal charges against a Detroit firefighter seen on video punching a citizen repeatedly, as well the citizen himself.
Both men claim they were assaulted by the other.
The possible charges stem from what happened the evening of June 30th, when Jimmie Wilson was walking home after finishing work.
He had just picked up takeout food and was walking home on Brantley Street on the city’s westside when a Detroit fire rig, presumably trying to turn around, was seen backing up in front of him. The rig nearly collided with Wilson.
“As I’m walking by, the fire truck pushing back,” Wilson said. “I’m pretty sure...I thought he saw me. But he kept backing back. I said hey! Just to alert him, and I kept going.”
Only he didn’t keep going. While nearby surveillance video has no audio, it shows Wilson walking towards the rig, where he says words were exchanged.
“I said you all need to watch where the (expletive) you going,” he said. “As soon as I said that, it was like I saw the passenger door open. And before that, he’s in my face.”
For about the next ten seconds, Wilson and the firefighters disappear from view, obscured behind the fire truck.
7 Action News is not naming the firefighters, and blurring their faces, because they’ve not been charged with a crime.
When Wilson and the firefighters are back in view, a sergeant with the fire department is seen with his hand around Wilson’s collar before shoving him into the fire rig.
“I’m like, just get out of my face. And that’s when he grabbed me,” Wilson said. “And then he threw me. I thought he was going to throw me to the ground and then I hit the truck, and that’s when the other firemen came in.”
Three other firefighters surrounded Wilson as the scuffle continues. At one point, Wilson is seen trying to push the sergeant back and his hand is seen pushing his glasses off his face.
“I tried to yank myself away. In the video, I try to yank myself away,” he said. “And that’s when he just started punching.”
The sergeant is seen punching Wilson three times in the head. He falls to the ground, where two more punches are thrown. The four firefighters stand over Wilson while he lays on the sidewalk.
“There’s never an indication that Mr. Wilson ever even tried to defend himself,” said his attorney Brandon McNeal. “Mr. Wilson would have been justified in fighting back. But clearly from the video, Mr. Wilson never throws any punches in order to defend himself.”
But firefighters would later tell Detroit police that Wilson did throw a punch. In fact, they said he threw the first punch.
“No I did not,” Wilson said. “I didn’t throw any punches. I didn’t throw not one punch. No push. No shove. Not anything. I did not throw one punch.”
On camera, Wilson isn’t seen throwing any punches, but there is no camera angle showing what happened behind the rig.
But Wilson does admit to throwing something.
“They claim you threw food at their truck,” said Channel 7’s Ross Jones, referring to the police report filed with DPD.
“Not at the fire truck,” Wilson said. “I threw my food straight across, it was right on the ground. I just threw my food like that,” he said, gesturing to his side.
When the scuffle was over, both sides reported injuries, with the fire sergeant saying he was left with a “swollen knot” on his left eye, and Wilson reporting a black eye and swollen arm. Today, he says he struggles with headaches and dizziness.
Detroit Police investigated the incident, and today the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office confirms it is reviewing warrants for both the firefighter and Wilson.
Interim Fire Commissioner Charles Simms declined to comment on the case while charges are being considered.
“I wish I just would have kept walking,” Wilson said. “I don’t know what I could have did differently.”
Contact 7 Investigator Ross Jones at ross.jones@wxyz.com or at (248) 827-9466.