The Observer has been required to carry this statement. Full coverage of the recent riot, including interviews with those involved in the protest are coming. While this statement serves a purpose, the Hathian Observer would like to remind citizens that there are other voices and views that will need to be heard.
On behalf of the Fire Department of Hathian (FDH) and Fire Chief Dale Warrhol, we extend our sincere thanks to everyone who came out in support of our protest against the Hathian Police Department’s ongoing brutality, obstruction, and torture of FDH and Hathian General Hospital (HGH) staff.
The purpose of this protest was clear and specific.
We demanded accountability for HPD officers:
- Officer Tessa Redfeather conducted unauthorized and unethical medical experiments on a firefighter, in direct violation of medical ethics and basic human rights and;
- Officers Shelby Katz and Tessa Redfeather threatened the arrest of FDH Captain Nathan Ferrer solely for attempting to provide life-saving medical care to a patient-an act fully within his professional duties and ethical obligations and;
- Multiple Officers who have obstructed FDH from performing its lawful duties with threats of arrest, and;
- Officer Sharkie Doe, who caused the lockdown of Hathian General Hospital in an armed incident, which blocked the FDH from taking a patient into HGH in another incident in a series of bizarre and embarrassing actions.
We further demanded firm assurances that FDH and HGH personnel will be allowed to carry out their work without threats of violence, arrest, or getting tortured while in custody. These are not unreasonable demands. We are not asking for the impossible-we are asking to be allowed to do our jobs safely and lawfully.
Despite this, Detective Inspector Krystal O’Neil, in a rambling and inflammatory statement published by The Observer, declared the Fire Department a criminal organization and alleged that we and other municipal services are being “controlled by the Yuugen.” This accusation is entirely baseless. If any organization is attempting to exert control over other municipal bodies, it is the Hathian Police Department itself. FDH neutrality has never meant obedience to HPD, nor has it ever meant endorsement.
FDH personnel at the protest were peaceful and unarmed. Our neutrality held until HPD officers opened fire with live ammunition. Several FDH members were shot, including the unarmed Fire Chief in the back, who was critically wounded by HPD Captain Julian Heckler. Others were fired upon. Snipers had been positioned on rooftops in advance, and officers on the ground were armed with long rifles and shotguns-clear evidence of premeditated escalation, not crowd control.
Beyond the direct targeting of FDH personnel, HPD officers also opened fire in the direction of civilians present at the protest. Live rounds were discharged into a public space where unarmed demonstrators, bystanders, and municipal staff were gathered. This reckless use of lethal force placed civilian lives at immediate risk and represents a gross breach of public trust. There was no justification for the deployment of live ammunition against a crowd, and the danger created by HPD’s actions extended far beyond FDH alone.
No officers were sprayed by our apparatus until a police officer fired at the FDH Captain (who was spraying the ground), causing a reflexive movement that resulted in one officer inadvertently being sprayed. At no point were hoses used as a means of direct force against officers. Our fire engine, Velma, which was actively engaged in fire suppression, was also shot at. As a result, Velma is now out of commission, forcing FDH to rely on older equipment for an indefinite period.
Finally, the suggestion that Hathian can fund an independent police department complete with its own hospital and EMS services is delusional. The funding simply does not exist. Resources are already stretched thin across essential services. Creating parallel emergency and medical systems for police alone is impossible and will never happen. While Detective Inspector O’Neil acknowledges the need for public services, her proposals would drain the public purse in pursuit of an unrealistic fantasy, apparently preferred over maintaining a functional, cooperative relationship between municipal agencies.
FDH remains committed to serving the people of Hathian. We will continue to demand accountability, transparency, and the right to perform our duties without intimidation or violence.
FDH Chief Dale Warrhol and FDH Captain Nathan Ferrer
