Arrests follow Nov. 16 incident at Marion County Fire Rescue Station 21 in Ocala, officials said.
OCALA, FL — Four Marion County Fire Rescue employees were arrested after a 19-year-old firefighter reported he was beaten, stripped and waterboarded during a hazing at Station 21 on Nov. 16, authorities said. The arrests were announced Nov. 26, and the workers have been fired.
Officials said the case matters now because it involves on-duty first responders accused of turning a firehouse into a site of assault and intimidation. Sheriff’s detectives described a sustained attack that escalated from a prank to violence, prompting felony charges and an internal purge at the department. Fire Chief James Banta condemned the behavior and said leadership is cooperating with the criminal investigation. A judge has since set bond for all four defendants as prosecutors review the evidence for formal filing of charges.
According to investigators, the hazing began during the teen firefighter’s shift when coworkers smeared grease on him and taunted him inside Station 21. When he resisted, the group chased him into the parking lot, yanked down his pants and struck him with a belt, the sheriff said. The assault moved to another spot where the attackers demanded the passcode to his phone to obtain a TikTok video. When he refused, they pinned him and poured water over a towel on his face, a method commonly known as waterboarding. The teen continued to resist until a station call for service interrupted the incident. “What occurred was unacceptable and inexcusable,” Banta said in a briefing.
Deputies arrested emergency medical technician Edward Kenny III, 22; firefighter/EMTs Seth Day, 22, and Tate Trauthwein, 19; and EMT Kaylee Bradley, 25. Kenny, Day and Trauthwein were booked on kidnapping, robbery and battery charges. Bradley was charged with robbery and as a principal or accessory to robbery. All four were terminated from the department after supervisors notified law enforcement and the investigation began. The sheriff said booking photos were withheld under state law for certain first responders. The victim remained on the job and declined to take leave, according to the fire chief. Officials said no weapons other than a belt and water were used, and no hospitalization was reported. Whether any video of the hazing exists remains unknown.
Records show the incident occurred Nov. 16 at Station 21, which serves a swath of southwest Ocala. The arrests were announced 10 days later, on Nov. 26, after detectives interviewed witnesses and collected digital evidence. On Nov. 27, a Marion County judge set bond at $100,000 each. Three defendants were released after posting bond; Kenny remained in custody as of Friday, according to officials. Investigators said the apparent dispute centered on a TikTok clip on the teen’s phone and escalated into demands for his passcode, forced undressing and repeated strikes with a belt on bare skin.
The department’s leadership said the firehouse culture will be reviewed. Banta said he was “in shock” at what deputies described and emphasized that hazing has no place in emergency services. Sheriff Billy Woods called the behavior “violent,” adding that the incident did not begin as horseplay but became a crime when the crew pursued, restrained and battered a colleague. Station 21 remained in service during the investigation, and county officials said response coverage was not affected. The agency did not release the teen’s name due to his age and status as an alleged victim. Detectives have not publicly outlined any prior complaints against the defendants.
Prosecutors will decide whether to file formal charges in the coming days. The defendants are expected to have initial appearances and arraignments set on the court calendar in December. Internal policy reviews at Marion County Fire Rescue are underway, and additional administrative action could follow if more employees are implicated. Officials said any disciplinary reports and use-of-force findings will be added to the case file. Detectives asked anyone with knowledge of the incident or possession of related phone videos to contact them as the inquiry continues.
Neighbors near the station said patrol cars were visible around the building after the arrests. A resident who lives off Southwest 66th Street said crews appeared “somber” the day after the briefing. At the department headquarters, firefighters arriving for shifts declined to comment, but one veteran described the mood as “embarrassed and angry” and said rookies should feel safe on duty. In prepared remarks, Banta praised the victim’s decision to stay on the roster and said supervisors who reported the incident acted properly. “This isn’t who we are,” he said.
The case remains active as of Sunday, Nov. 30. Prosecutors are reviewing the file and the sheriff’s office plans additional interviews this week; court dates are expected to be set in early December.
Author note: Last updated November 30, 2025.