Overview
- Four Marion County Fire Rescue employees made their first court appearance Thursday after being arrested in a case authorities describe as a violent hazing of a 19-year-old colleague.
- Detectives say the Nov. 16 incident at Fire Station 21 in Ocala escalated from grease-smearing to the removal of clothing, belt beatings, and three rounds of waterboarding.
- Edward Kenny III, 22, Seth Day, 22, and Tate Trauthwein, 19, were charged with kidnapping, robbery, and battery, while paramedic Kaylee Bradley, 25, faces robbery and principal/accessory to robbery counts.
- Officials say the confrontation was triggered by demands for the firefighter’s phone and passcode linked to a TikTok video, and it ended only when a service call came in.
- All four employees were fired; the department is reviewing whether others present should face administrative action and is directing leadership retraining, while the victim has remained on duty.