Los Angeles firefighters Jason Powell and Freddy Escobar have a history, and on Friday that apparently led to an altercation at their union\u2019s headquarters.<\/p>\n
Powell, the treasurer of United Firefighters of Los Angeles City, said former union president Escobar showed up to a union board meeting while on-duty. After the meeting was over, words were exchanged, and Powell said Escobar punched him in the groin. Powell said he reported the incident to police and that he planned to seek medical care.<\/p>\n
Escobar denied that he punched Powell, saying there was \u201cno fight, nothing other than voices.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cNot my style,\u201d he said in a text message when asked about the punch.<\/p>\n
Los Angeles police officers received a radio call about 11 a.m. about a battery at the 1500 block of Beverly Boulevard, said Officer Alondra Garcia. She didn\u2019t have further details.<\/p>\n
LAFD spokesperson Stephanie Bishop said the matter was referred to the agency\u2019s Professional Standards Division for an internal investigation. \u201cLAFD takes these matters seriously and will follow the established investigative and review processes,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n
Union president Doug Coates declined to comment, citing the active investigation. Coates said he didn\u2019t see what happened.<\/p>\n
In a letter to Powell Friday, Escobar\u2019s attorney, Delia Ibarra, demanded that Powell stop repeating the accusation and withdraw his complaint.<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Escobar will not tolerate fabricated allegations designed to destroy his reputation, jeopardize his employment, or provide a pretext for expelling him from the union he has served and represented for years,\u201d Ibarra wrote.<\/p>\n
Powell and Escobar have been at odds before. <\/p>\n
Escobar and two other union leaders were suspended from their positions last year after Powell raised concerns about board members\u2019 financial record keeping and use of funds. An investigation by the International Assn. of Fire Fighters, the local union\u2019s parent organization, found that $800,000 in credit card purchases<\/a> were not properly documented.<\/p>\n After an internal trial, the IAFF retained some charges against Escobar. They included failure to provide full and accurate accounting, conduct detrimental to the IAFF and unbecoming conduct. The most serious charges \u2014 which included incompetence, negligence and failure of duty \u2014 were dismissed. <\/p>\n The firefighter\u2019s union had called a special meeting on Friday morning to discuss spending an additional $3 million on the campaign for Measure FD, the half-cent sales tax measure on the Nov. 3 ballot. Powell said Escobar showed up to Friday\u2019s meeting on-duty, with his crew on a fire engine, and called some board members incompetent. <\/p>\n Powell said the board approved the Measure FD spending, and afterward Powell said he and Escobar exchanged words. <\/p>\n