JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville firefighter was arrested Tuesday night after fighting with a fellow firefighter at a fire station, according to a Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office report.
Joshua Jordan, 38, was arrested on a charge of “battery - touch or strike - no injury involving gang activity,” the report said.
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Jordan’s mugshot was not released because in Florida, while booking photographs are generally public record under Chapter 119, Florida Statutes, specific exemptions apply to first responders.
The report said JSO officers were dispatched around 9:30 p.m. to Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department Station 53 at 4220 Jones Road in the Cisco Gardens area.
A JFRD lieutenant told officers that “two firefighters had a verbal and physical altercation at the station,” the report said.
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The victim wanted police called due to an action Jordan took, but that information is redacted from the report.
The lieutenant told police, the report said, “the suspect told him that he wanted to confront the victim about some issues they were having,” and the lieutenant told Jordan not to do that and tried to de-escalate the situation.
Jordan said something to the victim, which is redacted in the report, and the report said the victim did not respond.
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The victim went to their room and Jordan followed, the report said. What happened next is redacted from the report.
The victim told officers that they had “finished cleaning the kitchen and was filling a mop bucket when the suspect walked up and stuck his mop into his bucket,” the report said.
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The victim said they did not say anything to Jordan “and turned the bucket away,” and left to mop the bathroom, the report said.
The victim said they went to put the mop bucket away and saw Jordan talking to witnesses. Jordan then said something to the victim, which is redacted in the report.
The victim said they kept walking away from Jordan, but Jordan kept following. The report said “witnesses were attempting to de-escalate the situation but that it was not working.”
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Police talked to Jordan, and what he told them was redacted from the report.
The report said “the victim’s statements and witness statements matched,” so this led to Jordan’s arrest.
According to JSO’s online inmate information search, Jordan was released on a $500 bond early Wednesday morning.
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Action News Jax has reached out to JFRD to inquire about Jordan’s employment status and JFRD shared the following statement:
“The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department is aware of an incident that occurred at Fire Station 53 involving two JFRD personnel. This situation is being taken seriously, and we are conducting a thorough internal review in coordination with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
“The employee who was arrested has been temporarily reassigned to administrative duties pending the outcome of this review and the JSO investigation. We are unable to provide any additional details while this investigation is active.
“We recognize that incidents like this are difficult not only for the individuals involved but also for the men and women who show up every day, dedicated to serving our community. The alleged behavior does not represent who we are or what JFRD stands for as an organization.
“The trust Jacksonville places in our department is not something we take lightly. We will continue to hold our personnel to the highest standards, because our residents and visitors deserve nothing less.”
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