The firefighter who shot his dogs because he didn’t want to pay to board them has been fired. The pressure on the city from dog lovers around the country helped make sure these dogs did not die in vain.
Disgraced Columbus firefighter David Santuomo, who executed his family pets and lied about it to investigators, was fired today by Safety Director Mitchell Brown.
The Dispatch and WBNS-TV (Channel 10) have learned that Santuomo sent a text message to a fellow firefighter threatening a Columbus police officer because he thought the officer had turned him in to the Capital Area Humane Society.
The message said, “You realize that there is a funeral in CPD’s future,” according to the internal-affairs investigative report.
That information was forwarded to prosecutors and the safety director, sources said.
Last week, Fire Chief Ned Pettus Jr. recommended that Santuomo be fired. Only the safety director can fire firefighters under the city charter.
Brown did so today.
“After careful consideration of the relevant facts … it is my decision to uphold the recommendation of Fire Chief Ned Pettus Jr. and terminate Firefighter David Santuomo from the position of firefighter for the City of Columbus,” Brown said in a statement. “As in all personnel matters, no further comment will be made at this time.”
Thousands of people have called for Santuomo’s firing through e-mails, letters and phone calls to The Dispatch and the city.
Santuomo has had other issues while working for the fire department, several reprimands for tardiness as well as for two improper remarks made on fire dispatching radios. He is a divorced father with two sons. What a role model.
Not much left to say about this, except good riddance to Santuomo.
