"I only hope that from this point forward, we can resolve this and salvage two good employees," said Daytona Beach Battalion Chief Mike Tyrrell, who was in charge of the station at the time of the punch.
In a report filed Friday with Daytona Beach police, Thibeault said McInarnay punched him in the face after an argument at Station 1, knocking his hat and glasses to the floor.
The two were arguing over a piece of fire equipment — a buddy breather quick connect — McInarnay was cleaning at the end of his shift, just after 7 a.m. on Christmas. Thibeault, according to his complaint, found the apparatus to be full of soot and dirt, and he confronted McInarnay about it.
The men were exchanging words face to face and inches apart just before McInarnay threw the punch, according to the complaint. Two firefighters who saw the confrontation wrote witness statements for the city’s internal investigation, which is still ongoing and unavailable in report form Wednesday.
Tyrrell, who is also president of the local firefighters union that represents both firefighters, said the incident was the culmination of ongoing tension between the men.
"Let’s be honest — we select, hire, train and expect alpha male," Tyrrell said. "This is something I truly believe, speaking with the victim, he was more than happy if the department would have handled this, and it would have never gotten to a criminal charge."
Daytona Beach police spokesman Jimmie Flynt said police forwarded Thibeault’s complaint to the State Attorney’s Office for review. If the case goes forward, the charge against McInarnay would be battery on a firefighter, a felony, and he could be suspended from his job.
Tyrrell said the men, both of whom have military backgrounds, don’t speak to each other, other than to pass off equipment during shift change. The night of the punch, he said, both firefighters were sent to work the same structure fire on the beachside.
"How can you expect one to work with another under that scenario?" he said. "The department should have tried to make peace with this, they should have acted swiftly, and they didn’t."
McInarnay and Thibeault could not be reached Wednesday.
