Off-Duty FDNY Firefighter Charged in Fatal Brawl

An FDNY firefighter is facing a third-degree assault charge—and could face more charges—after he was accused of fatally punching a man in a brawl outside a bar in Queens over the weekend.

Justin Deieso, 35, was arrested and released without bail following the incident at the Terrace Inn Bar & Grill in the Whitestone neighborhood, the New York Daily News reports. He also was suspended without pay following the arrest.

According to police, Deieso, who serves with Ladder Co. 122 in Brooklyn, allegedly landed a single blow to the face of Devin Deegan, 55, during a fight at around 4 a.m. When Deegan fell to the ground, he suffered a heart attack and died later at the hospital.

“I’m sick over it," Deieso's neighbor told the Daily News. “And I’m sick in my heart for him because he’s devastated over this. He’s not the kind of fella who goes out and does that.”

A former Marine who applied to become both a New York City firefighter and police officer, Deieso has been with the department for seven years. If the city's medical examiner determines Deegan's death was a homicide, the firefighter could face additional charges.

“He’s a good-hearted, community-minded Marine for his country,” the neighbor told the Daily News “He’s a Marine, he’s a firefighter, he pulls people out of buildings. … This is a heartbreaker for us.”