FILE PHOTO

(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)

Three firefighters from Kootenay Boundary Regional Fire Rescue have been charged for allegedly assaulting a homeless man while off duty in Trail.

On Sunday, April 23, a frontline Trail and Greater District RCMP officer received a report that a 49-year-old man had been assaulted by three men, according to an RCMP media release.

When the officer located the man, he was found on the ground in an alley with serious injuries.

The man was allegedly punch in the head several times, may have lost consciousness and had a serious shoulder injury, RCMP said.

The man said he was assaulted by a 52-year-old Trail man and two accomplices when he was taking his garbage out to the dumpster in the alley.

The attack took place on the 900 block of Spokane Street, in Trail.

Gregory Ferraby, Richard Morris and Wesley Parsons have now each been charged with one count of assault causing bodily harm.

The attack happened while the firefighters were off duty, and the victim and the primary attacker were known to each other.

Kootenay Boundary Fire Chief Dan Derby told iNFOnews.ca the department is both saddened and disturbed by the charges and allegations.

“The RDKB does not condone this type of conduct on or off duty,” Derby said. “I can assure the public that the RDKB is taking these allegations seriously and is conducting our own internal investigation into the matters. We are committed to due process, due to privacy law. I'm unable to comment further on this front.”

Derby added that the firefighters “are absent from the workplace at this time.”

Sgt. Mike Wicentowich from the Trail RCMP detachment told iNFOnews.ca that the victim, who was homeless at the time of the attack, is now housed and recovering from his injuries.

Anyone with information is asked to Trail RCMP at 250-364-2566.

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