'Assault on Firefighter Who Came to Rescue While Intoxicated'... Prosecution Indicts 20s Male and Detains

A man in his 20s who assaulted firefighters who came to rescue him while he was intoxicated has been arrested and prosecuted.

The Criminal Division 1 of Changwon District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Im Gil-seop) announced on the 1st that Mr. A (27 years old), who assaulted three firefighters engaged in life-saving and emergency rescue activities, has been arrested and prosecuted on charges of violating the Fire Services Act and obstructing official duties.

On December 19th last year, around 6:30 a.m., Mr. A was bleeding and intoxicated at a convenience store in Changwon, Gyeongnam. He assaulted three firefighters who had arrived to rescue him by punching them in the face. He had a prior record of assaulting police officers while intoxicated, obstructing official duties. At the time of this incident, he was under a suspended sentence.

The prosecution decided to directly arrest and prosecute Mr. A considering the seriousness of the case and the risk of recidivism.

Earlier, on the 17th of last month, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office instructed local prosecutors' offices to "strictly respond to violent crimes against emergency rescue firefighters and emergency medical personnel and to exclude intoxication as a mitigating factor." Under the Fire Services Act, anyone who assaults firefighters on duty or obstructs emergency rescue activities can be punished by imprisonment for up to five years or a fine of up to 50 million won.

A prosecution official stated, "We will do our best to maintain the prosecution so that the defendant receives a sentence commensurate with the crime, and we will continue to firmly respond to violent crimes against firefighters and emergency medical personnel who perform duties to protect the lives, bodies, and property of the public."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.