A 19-year-old rookie firefighter in Marion County, Florida thought he was just being teased for a goofy TikTok dance video.
According to multiple local news reports and a detailed press conference by county leaders, that “teasing” spiraled into a brutal hazing ordeal where he was chased, stripped, whipped with his own belt, dragged across a parking lot, and waterboarded – allegedly by the very coworkers sworn to protect the public alongside him.
Marion County Fire Rescue has now fired four employees and all four have been arrested on serious felony charges. County officials say what happened at Fire Station 21 wasn’t just “pranking” or “tradition.” It was torture.
A Hazing ‘Prank’ That Turned Criminal
WKMG News 6 reporter Catherine Silver reports that the incident started on November 19 at Marion County Fire Rescue Station 21, where the 19-year-old firefighter was working and “detailing ladders” during his shift…