PUNTA GORDA, Fla. (WFLA) – Northport firefighters have been identified as a passenger on a boat alongside a charter captain caught on camera beating another boater.
The video of the conflict that took place in Punta Gorda on Tuesday has since garnered millions of views on Facebook and hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube.
The Florida charter captain saw him discussing with the boater on a viral video. Police investigation
According to Punta Gorda Police, the four-minute clip shows the argument between the two sailors, both adults. The man’s intermediate, who identified himself as the charter captain, climbed up on the man’s boat.
Police said they are investigating the incident with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the U.S. Coast Guard.
Northport Fire Rescue is investigating the incident after Fire Director Scott Titus revealed that one of the passengers on the charter captain’s boat was one of his firefighters. He identified the man as “Rigs, the Firefighter.”
“He is a Northport Firefighter and a well-known military veteran known for his gentle, easygoing attitude and passionate passion for his country and the citizens of Northport,” Titus wrote in a Facebook post.
Titus urged residents to withhold Riggs’ judgment for now, saying the fire department would “will deal with this situation at once (they) have all the facts.”
“Unless I was proven guilty, a world I grew up with the innocence I was requested,” Titus wrote. “Rigs, a firefighter, saved many lives and influenced positive outcomes on many calls in our city, not to mention his sacrifice to fight for the freedom of his military career. We respect and cherish his past service to the nation, respect and cherish our investment in our community to judge the facts of the case and address it.”
Authorities have not released any additional details regarding the incident or its investigation.