Four Firefighters Arrested Over Paintball ‘Prank War’ That Hit Florida Officer's Patrol Vehicle
What to Know
- Four Jacksonville Fire and Rescue employees were arrested for a paintball incident that damaged multiple vehicles.
- The incident involved high-velocity paintball shots from an elevated position, affecting sheriff's patrol cars and public property.
- Evidence included paint splatters on signs, a traffic sign, a dumpster, and an abandoned structure, linked to a fire station roof.
JACKSONVILLE, Florida -- Four Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department employees were arrested after a paintball incident that struck multiple vehicles, including a marked Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office patrol car, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
The incident occurred on Monday, Dec. 29, 2025, when an officer driving near North Jefferson Street and West Duval Street in Jacksonville’s LaVilla neighborhood noticed multiple impacts on his patrol vehicle, according to a news release.
Upon inspection, the officer observed several green paint splatters. A civilian driver also reported their vehicle had been struck in a similar manner.
Responding officers located multiple green paint splatters on the roadway. Investigators determined the paint appeared to have been fired from a high-velocity launcher from an elevated location. Additional paint was found on an Interstate 95 traffic sign, a “One-Way” sign, a dumpster, and an abandoned structure in the area.
Officers observed firefighters quickly entering a nearby fire station and closing the bay doors. During interviews, firefighters told officers there was an ongoing “prank war” between fire stations that may have been connected to the incident.
Further investigation revealed 14 red and green paintballs on the roof of the fire station, along with used paintball shells in the station’s driveway that appeared to have been recently washed away.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Integrity Unit, which investigates alleged criminal activity involving city employees, opened an investigation. Following what JSO described as a lengthy and thorough process, detectives identified four Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department personnel involved in the incident and obtained arrest warrants.
On Friday afternoon, JSO arrested the four firefighters on misdemeanor criminal mischief charges. They were booked into the Duval County Jail.
Those arrested were identified as:
- Engineer Landon T. Simmons, 30
- Engineer Wesley P. Parker, 32
- Engineer Tristen C. Harrison, 25
- Firefighter Colby B. Lesage, 23
Sheriff T.K. Waters and Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department Chief Percy Golden Jr. addressed the incident. The four employees have been reassigned to administrative duties pending the outcome of an internal Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department investigation. Questions regarding personnel status were directed to JFRD.
According to JSO, the incident does not affect the agency’s public safety partnership with Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department or its commitment to protecting Jacksonville residents and visitors.