Walsh: City Will Perform 'Due Diligence' After Retiring Firefighter Arrested

BOSTON (CBS) – Mayor Marty Walsh said the city will perform its due diligence investigating after a Boston firefighter allegedly called a trooper a "Nazi" while failing field sobriety tests just a day before he began his retirement.

Sean Ingram, 64, was set to retire on Friday due to the mandatory retirement age of 65. He was a firefighter at the K Street Station in South Boston.

On Thursday, Ingram was involved in a crash on Interstate 93 and drove away. State Police say when he was pulled over, Ingram backed into a cruiser before berating the responding trooper.

"Whether you're retired or not retired, when you're a public employee, a public safety personnel, you have to realize you're held to a higher standard," Walsh said on Saturday. "Kids view you as heroes. People view you at the time of need. Whether you're active or not active, retired or not retired, you have to remember that that badge means something. You have to respect people."

Because Ingram had already filed for retirement before the incident, Walsh said the city's involvement will be different than if he was still active. Walsh said the city will "make sure we do our due diligence."

"It changes the way that we handle things a little bit. If he had still been working the fire department would obviously have paid leave and things like that," said Walsh. "We'll look at it, but he had his papers in long before yesterday."

Ingram, who was paid $117,000 in 2017, is not in danger of losing his pension because this was an off-duty transgression. He was arraigned on several charges Friday, including underrating under the influence second offense and resisting arrest.