The Ottawa firefighter charged with choking a non-binary comrade at work has broken his silence.
Eric Einagel says he’s devastated by the criminal charges he firmly denies.
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In a statement on the firefighter’s behalf, defence lawyer Dominic Lamb said: “Personally and professionally, Eric supports and embraces a diverse workplace that reflects our community.”
“He is devastated by the claim that he committed crimes of violence against a gender-diverse individual. It is an accusation that is as outrageous as it is patently false. He looks forward to his day in court,” Lamb told this newspaper.
Einagel, 37, is accused of choking a comrade at the firehouse on Sept. 14.
He’s on leave and so is Capt. Gregory Wright.
Wright, 56, has been charged by Ottawa police for failing to give medical assistance to a fellow firefighter.
A firefighter said they were choked by a comrade and asked the captain if they could leave and go to the hospital but was told to finish their shift.
A live issue if the case ever reaches trial will be if the Crown can prove bodily harm beyond a reasonable doubt. If the case gets to trial, medical reports — including photos taken after the alleged assault — will be examined in court.
It should be noted that Wright was not involved in the alleged assault, and charged only for what he did or didn’t do after.
Wright’s defence lawyer, Joshua Clarke, told this newspaper last week he can’t understand why Ottawa police would charge the veteran firefighter.
“While we respect the criminal process, we cannot fathom why he has been charged with this offence, having done nothing wrong. It is our intent to challenge the Crown’s case if necessary. We are optimistic this can be resolved relatively quickly,” Clarke said.
The assault charges against Einagel were announced by the Ottawa police hate-crimes unit in November.
A city official at the time said the city would do an internal investigation.
gdimmock@postmedia.com
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