Vermont Firefighter Charged With Assault, Resigns

A Burlington firefighter who was caught on video pushing a man, has opted to resign after he was charged with simple assault. The firefighter, Kevan Mahoney, exchanged words with the unidentified man in front of the Burlington Police Department, pushed him once and then pushed him a second time hard enough to cause the man to lose his balance, striking his head on the ground. The incident occurred on November 22, 2020.

Fire Chief Steven Locke issued a press release last Friday stating:

  • “The Department takes these accusations very seriously and understands the trust the public places with us. The video of this incident is very concerning and the actions taken by Firefighter Mahoney are not in line with the Department’s mission, vision or values.”

Here is a copy of the press release:

About Curt Varone

Curt Varone has over 45 years of fire service experience and 35 as a practicing attorney licensed in both Rhode Island and Maine. His background includes 29 years as a career firefighter in Providence (retiring as a Deputy Assistant Chief), as well as volunteer and paid on call experience. He is the author of two books: Legal Considerations for Fire and Emergency Services, (2006, 2nd ed. 2011, 3rd ed. 2014, 4th ed. 2022) and Fire Officer's Legal Handbook (2007), and is a contributing editor for Firehouse Magazine writing the Fire Law column.
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