2 DC firefighters charged with assaulting officers in separate incidents

Two D.C. firefighters are in trouble with the law after being charged with assaulting police officers in two separate incidents.

One occurred during a traffic stop in the District while the other happened in Anne Arundel County in Maryland.

One of those firefighters has been in the news before under very different circumstances.

Charles Ryan was arrested last Saturday night outside the Irish Channel Restaurant and Pub in Gambrills, Md., after Anne Arundel County police say he assaulted an officer who was trying to arrest him.

The court document in the case says Ryan was trying to fight the staff at the pub when police arrived, and when the officer put him in handcuffs and into his patrol car, he kicked the officer with his legs.

Just about three years ago, Ryan was all over the news after being severely burned in a Northeast D.C. house fire.

Ryan and four other firefighters narrowly escaped death when a sudden flashover inside the home left them with severe burns. Ryan suffered second and third-degree burns to 30 percent of his body. His stay in the hospital lasted nearly seven weeks. Ryan later returned to the job.

Last Saturday night, he was with other firefighters at the pub when the trouble started.

We reached out to Ryan through a friend, but he declined to comment.

The other firefighter arrested for assaulting a police officer was taken into custody Tuesday night in the District.

A charging document says Richard Kirkpatrick was stopped in Northeast D.C. for reckless driving. When police attempted to arrest him, he allegedly headbutted a female officer and kicked her in the chest before trying to run away.

Kirkpatrick is a probationary firefighter assigned to Engine 27.