[News] [MD, USA] NEWS BRIEF — City firefighter suspended for insubordination prior to altercation with transsexual
Stephanie Stevens
NEWS BRIEF — City firefighter suspended for insubordination prior to
altercation with transsexual
45-DAY SUSPENSION FOR FAILURE TO FOLLOW ORDERS
PRECEDED TRANSSEXUAL ENCOUNTER BY FOUR WEEKS
Thursday, 19 August 2010 00:03
By Stephen Janis
[Photo; <http://bit.ly/bU2fDL> Transsexual Tamera King, left, or
firefighter Jerry Majette attacked the other with a hammer on August
1.]
A Baltimore City firefighter who has been charged with first-degree
assault for allegedly attacking a transsexual was suspended for 45
days for insubordination a month before the alleged incident occurred
that led to county police filing assault charges against him.
The suspension was one of a series of disciplinary actions that have
plagued firefighter Jerry Majette’s tenure with the department, fire
officials said.
However, despite a series of reprimands, including termination,
Majette has managed to keep his job until now.
According to Baltimore City Fire Department sources who did not wish
to be identified, Majette served out the 45-day suspension — which
resulted from failing to obey orders — between June 11 and July 23.
The suspension was one of several instances in which Majette was
either disciplined or reprimanded by his superiors.
DRIVER'S LICENSE SUSPENDED
Recently Majette’s license to operate an emergency vehicle in the city
was suspended because of points he accumulated on his personal
driver’s license. The lack of clearance to operate city vehicles
forced the fire department to add Majette to an ambulance with two
paramedics.
Last year Majette was fired after he had used all of his medical leave
for injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident that occurred while he
was on medical leave for another injury.
However, Baltimore Fire Chief James Clack rehired Majette.
Majette did not return a phone call seeking comment.
Baltimore City firefighter spokesman Kevin Cartwright said he could
not comment on Majette's tenure with the fire department or his most
recent suspension.
Meanwhile, Baltimore County police said that Majette met his alleged
victim, transsexual Tamera King, on “craigslist,” not in the fire
station parking lot as he told Investigative Voice in an interview
earlier this week.
King had taken out a personal ad on the site, she told police. A
search of Majette’s home computer found King’s listing in the
computer’s search history. King told police she listed herself as a
transsexual on the craigslist website.
What happened after the duo met is still unclear.
TRANSIENT STATE OF SEXUAL ORGANS
According to charging documents, after King disrobed she told police
Majette expressed displeasure with the transient state of her sexual
organs and shortly thereafter said he was interested in “holding” some
of her money.
But when the transsexual — who asked to be referred to as “she” in the
police report — protested, Majette picked up a hammer and struck her,
she said, telling police that she then grabbed a pair of scissors and
fought off his attack. Police found the woman had a gash on her
forehead and lacerations on her arm.
Majette then fled the apartment as his alleged victim called police.
In his interview with Investigative Voice, Majette said he had just
checked in with his fire company around 11 p.m. and was on his way
home when he was accosted by the alleged victim with a hammer who then
demanded money after encountering her in a parking lot.
Despite Majette’s long history of disciplinary problems, Baltimore
City Fire Fighters Local 734 union President Robert Sledgeski defended
him, pointing out that he had not yet had his day in court.
“It's important to note that he's innocent until proven guilty,”
Sledgeski said. Fire Department officials also said Majette was due
his day in court before further action would be taken.