When a California firefighter responded to the scene of a highway accident on Wednesday, he may have expected challenges, but he probably didn't expect to end up in handcuffs.
Jacob Gregoire, 36, — a 12-year veteran of the Chula Vista Fire Department — responded to an accident involving a car that had crashed into the center divider of a Southern California interstate injuring two people, according to NBC San Diego.
During the commotion, a fire engine was strategically parked in the road in order to block traffic from hitting an exposed ambulance, but California Highway Patrol officers wanted the truck moved.
When Gregoire refused to move the truck, for what he says were safety reasons, a CHP officer cuffed and detained him.
Chula Vista Fire Chief Dave Hanneman said in a statement that the two organizations work well together "99 percent of the time."
Hanneman said he was "very proud of how Gregoire and the other firefighters on the scene handled the situation," but admitted that CHP has jurisdiction over the highways.
NBC San Diego reported that another firefighter broadcast over radio waves during the mayhem, "This is ridiculous. CHP is arresting Engineer Gregoire for where he spotted the fire engine. We're in the middle of patient care with patients on the freeway and we're trying to protect our scene."
After meeting about the incident, the CHP and Chula Vista Fire chiefs released a joint statement, which read in part, "Both the CHP and the Chula Vista Fire Department share a common goal of protecting the public and providing the highest level of safety to responding emergency personnel."