Feb 8, 2008 9:03 am US/Central
Shot Firefighters Allegedly Sold Fake NFL Jerseys
PEORIA, Ariz. (CBS 11 News/ AP) ―
Glendale, Arizona police have released new information concerning the two off-duty Dallas firefighters shot after the Super Bowl.
According to police, the firefighters were involved in a counterfeit football jersey bust.
Police say an undercover detective approached four men the night before the Super Bowl who were selling counterfeit jerseys for $100 a piece. The jerseys were being sold out of a rented minivan at a convenience store a few blocks from the site of Sunday's Super Bowl.
Investigators say two of the four men were Dallas firefighters Charles Whitaker and Reginald Cuington.
The firefighters were released at the scene, but the two other men were arrested for possession of marijuana. Joe Jackson, 27, and Vincent Odum, 34, are both from Dallas. It is unclear how the four men knew each other.
According to police, 175 counterfeit jerseys were confiscated.
About 36 hours later, both firefighters were shot in a drive-by. Whitaker, 38, died Wednesday at a Phoenix hospital after being taken off life support. The 14-year department veteran suffered injuries to his leg, chest and head.
The other Dallas firefighter, 43-year-old Reginald Cuington, suffered a
leg wound and remained hospitalized Thursday but his condition was not
immediately available.
Glendale police say they were preparing to submit charges on all four men for felony trademark infringement at the time of the shooting.
Police say they are not sure if the two crimes are related.
"Obviously, the homicide case in Peoria has to take precedence over the trademark infringement case," said Sgt. Jim Toomey with Glendale police.
However, Sgt. Toomey said Cuington, a 17-year fire department veteran, and the two other Dallas men would likely face felony charges for trademark infringement.
"No matter if it's done in Dallas, Fort Worth or if it's done in Glendale, Arizona, how you conduct yourself on and off duty reflects on the badge," said Lt. Joel Lavender with Dallas Fire Rescue. "Whatever you do, you may be disciplined for it if it's something that we feel is not correct."
Peoria police spokesman Mike Tellef said investigators were trying to figure out if the shooting resulted from some sort of argument or fight earlier Sunday.
Stay with cbs11tv.com for more on this developing story.
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
