Ex-Sacramento firefighter was written up six times, including DUI. He still had his job
A Sacramento firefighter maintained his tenure with the department through at least six disciplinary write-ups, including one for a DUI.
On May 17, Shayne Marshall’s employment with the city came to an end, but it’s unclear if he quit or was fired.
Disciplinary records obtained by The Sacramento Bee through a California Public Records Act Request show a range of incidents from 2017 to 2021 in which Marshall ran afoul of fire department policy.
In September 2018, while off duty, Marshall was arrested for driving while intoxicated by Auburn police, according to a disciplinary letter. His Honda Pilot struck the side of a parked Audi. One witness told police she saw Marshall stumble out of the car, in the process losing a shoe, apparently trying to flee the scene.
Marshall didn’t cooperate with sobriety tests, and a “physical struggle” ensued between him and the officers. On the way to the Placer County Jail he attempted to wrap his legs around the officer, the letter states.
His breath samples showed a blood alcohol level of 0.11 and 0.12, higher than the 0.08 limit, the letter states.
“While being taken to jail, you told cop you were a firefighter with the city and this would ‘destroy your job,’” the letter states. “... you attempted to use your official position as a city of Sacramento firefighter to influence the police officer who was transporting you to jail for DUI to release you.”
In February 2019 he pleaded guilty to DUI and disturbing the peace and was sentenced to 45 days in jail and three years of probation, the letter states. His license was suspended for 30 days, requiring him to take off time from his job with the fire department.
The department punished him with a three shift suspension.
Marshall did not return a message seeking comment. He was hired in 2011, and his base salary at the time of his last day was $96,680.
Other disciplinary incidents
About a year after he was arrested for a DUI, Marshall’s behavior in a Sacramento emergency room caused a nurse to call his boss to complain.
In November 2019 Marshall transported a patient who wished to have a psych evaluation to Mercy General Hospital.
“Marshall wheeled the patient past the waiting gurneys and was forceful in trying to get the patient turned over before a physician had seen the patient,” the nurse told a fire department official, according to the letter. “He was very aggressive toward the charge nurse in trying to offload the patient.”
“(Marshall) was upset someone was complaining and mentioned that he couldn’t get in trouble again because I’ll get fired if I get another complaint,” the letter stated.
His punishment was a one shift suspension, for which he was allowed to use vacation time.
Prior to the DUI, Marshall was written up for an incident in July 2018 when he responded to a house where a man was dying and said, “what is everyone freaking out about?”
Another firefighter wrote, “not only have they lost a father, one of their last memories they have of his existence is the SFD insulting his family.”
In an interview with department officials, Marshall admitted to making the comment.
“I take 100% responsibility for my remarks,” Marshall said, according to the letter. “It did not come out with a positive end results. For that I am grieved.”
Marshall was also written up for discourtesy in 2017 and 2018, but the department declined The Bee’s request for those records. Under the city’s contract with the firefighter union, Local 522, disciplinary records are pulled from personnel files after 18 months.
