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Residents press council on alleged firefighter domestic abuse and city attorney handling
Summary
During final public comment, two residents described allegations of repeated domestic violence by a city firefighter and criticized the city attorney's office for delayed or insufficient action; speakers said the fire chief reopened an investigation and urged equal application of the law.
Two members of the public used the council's final comment period to urge the City of Henderson to ensure criminal accountability in a case involving an on-duty firefighter.
Jeremy Bennett told the council that more than 117 days passed from the filing of a police report to a decision and alleged the city attorney's office delayed a warrant request for over 40 days. "This looks like gross negligence from the city attorney's office," Bennett said, urging the council to demand accountability and to ensure the city attorney applies the law equally, regardless of employment.
Bennett said the fire chief has "reopened an investigation" and that the firefighter was reportedly placed on administrative leave last week, though he described the leave status as unclear. Justin Bennett, who spoke after Jeremy Bennett, described a set of alleged incidents in which the victim reported physical abuse including choking and being struck; he read excerpts and text messages he said were part of the victim's record and urged the council to "do better." Both commenters said evidence existed that, in their view, justified criminal charges.
No city official provided an on-the-record response to these accusations during the meeting. Council members did not take immediate action on the record; the public commenters asked the council to follow up and ensure that the city attorney's office treats these cases without favoritism.
The mayor and staff will take the comments for follow-up; the statements appear in the meeting record and may prompt further inquiry or staff reports at a subsequent meeting.
