Fire Law Blog Fire Service and Public Safety Legal Issues Blog by Curt Varone
A firefighter in Kansas City, Missouri is facing felony charges for reportedly urinating on a female colleague’s personal property in a KC firehouse. KC police have charged Pleaze Robinson III with first-degree harassment and first-degree property damage over the incident that occurred on September 10, 2023.
Quoting from the The Kansas City Star:
- On Sept. 10, 2023, a KCFD medic noticed a strange smell in her office, a small closet that had been converted into an office space, according to court documents.
- The medic reportedly noticed that her possessions were wet, and when she tried to clean them with a white paper towel, it turned yellow.
- That’s when the medic realized and reported that her CD player, boogie board and medic training books — valued at around $3,000 — had been urinated on, according to a probable cause statement.
- The medic had recently returned to work after being on leave for an injury, and when asked by investigators who could have done it, she mentioned previous issues with Robinson and another firefighter.
- Investigators with Kansas City police collected the wet items in biohazard bags, and packaged them for testing at the crime lab.
- There, the liquid found on the CD player was tested for DNA, which allegedly strongly supported that it came from Robinson.
The Kansas City Star quoted Platte County Prosecuting Attorney Eric Zahnd as saying:
- This case is about allegations of very shocking behavior in the workplace.
- It’s particularly disturbing that a presumed public servant would instead be accused of harassing a co-worker in this vile manner.
Robinson was involved in an off-duty road-rage incident in 2019 that resulted in a guilty-plea, probation and him retaining his job. Here is more on that story.
