Feb 8, 2008 6:57 pm US/Central
Body Of Murdered Dallas Firefighter Returned To TX
NORTH TEXAS (CBS 11 News) ―
Early Friday evening the body of Dallas firefighter Charles Whitaker arrived by plane in North Texas. Several firefighters gathered for a motorcade at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.
There are new developments into the shooting that killed Whitaker and wounded firefighter Reginald Cuington, and the investigation into the firefighters themselves.
Wreaths for firefighter Whitaker have been set up outside of Fire Station #49 at 4901 South Hampton Road.
Whitaker and Cuington were both veteran firefighters, but no one could have known what they shared 'off duty' would land them in the middle of a complicated investigation.
Whitaker's flag-draped casket began its mournful journey in Phoenix, Arizona, not far from the suburban community of Peoria, where he and fellow firefighter Cuington were gunned down while returning to their hotel after the Super Bowl.
Cuington will recover, but Whitaker died from his wounds. "It brings some sort of closure, as far as the distance between Dallas and Phoenix, but nevertheless it adds to the pain of firefighters because we know our brother is here at home but he hasn't reached his final resting place," Dallas Fire Rescue Lt. Joel Lavender.
The arrival of Whitaker's body at DFW Airport was low-key, with a solemn procession of firefighters accompanying the family to an Oak Cliff funeral home.
Police in Arizona say they don't know why the men were shot, but an incident Saturday morning complicated the investigation. Whitaker, Cuington, and two other men were stopped by police for allegedly selling fake NFL jerseys.
The remaining three men could face felony counterfeiting charges. "We have to separate the issue of counterfeiting, which tarnishes the badge, and makes all firefighters look bad," Lavender said. "We have to hold ourselves to a higher level of accountability, not only in the department but also in the community as a whole."
When CBS 11 News went looking for the other two men involved in the fake jersey investigation, Joe Jackson and Vincent Odum both believed to be from Dallas, they were not at their last known addresses. Both were arrested in Arizona for marijuana possession but bonded out of jail Sunday morning before the Super Bowl game.
Neither, Cuington, Jackson, nor Odum was charged with counterfeiting, but the case will be referred to county prosecutor in Arizona.
The NFL and law enforcement were serious about cracking down on counterfeiting during the Super Bowl weekend. They made 24 arrests and seized 9,500 items.
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