Friday 18 November 2022 10:35 PM Flint fire chief is ousted after two firefighters OVERLOOKED two unconscious ... trends now
A fire chief in Flint, Michigan was ousted on Thursday after widespread controversy surrounding the deaths of two kids in a housefire in May who were overlooked by two firefighters, who failed to properly check the house's second floor.
9-year-old LaMar and 12-year-old Zy'Aire Mitchell died in early June from smoke inhalation after being left in their home unconscious.
Chief Raymond Barton was replaced by Theron Wiggins after firefighters Daniel Sniegocki and Michael Zlotek were discovered to have not properly searched the floor of the house and submitted false reports.
Barton has implied publicly that he tried to fire the men but was overruled, fueling speculation of a coverup by Mayor Sheldon Neeley in the lead-up to his election.
Barton refused to resign from his position as fire chief and was then fired.
In a tearful interview on Friday, Barton said he wouldn't resign because he 'didn't do anything.'
'It's about the city of Flint's residents, it's about the city of Flint,' he said.
Sniegocki resigned before he received any punishment, and Zlotek was back at the fire department after two weeks paid suspension and training before he also resigned. Neither have been charged with a crime.
Chief Raymond Barton, pictured, was replaced by Theron Wiggins after he concluded two firefighters lied about checking a burning house for two children who eventually died
Zy'Aire Mitchell, left, and LaMar Mitchell, middle, died from smoke inhalation days after the fire - their father DeAndre, right, was held by police for hours before he could see them
In a tearful interview on Friday, Barton said he wouldn't resign because he 'didn't do anything,' and added that he wants 'people to admit when they've made mistakes,' referencing the firefighters who he believes lied on their report of the fire
When asked about what he wants to come of the case, Barton said 'for it not to happen again' and for 'people to admit when they've made a mistake.'
An attorney for the Mitchell family, Todd Flood, said of Barton being fired: 'You can't make that up.'
'Seems that would be retaliation for saying the truth, but I wasn’t in the meeting to determine factors they looked at,' he said. 'However, I can't imagine, in my wildest fact patterns, good cause to fire someone that has as much integrity as the chief.'
He said the family of the boys 'admire and respect the chief for speaking on the matter.'
The boy's father, DeAndre Mitchell, 44, spoke to The Daily Beast about the tragic day and the events that led to it.
Mitchell said he was running on a treadmill at the local YMCA when he received a call from his uncle, who said 'your house is on fire.'
Scared for his
