Two Lauderhill firefighter paramedics went before a Broward County judge to request that she keep the man accused of repeatedly shooting at their fire rescue engine behind bars.
Jermaine Eugene Shennett, 41, was charged with aggravated assault on a firefighter but a second charge of possession of a weapon by a convicted felon was added Thursday, records show.
Three firefighters were inside the ambulance during that Sept. 16 shooting, but none was hit by the six or seven shots fired.
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Two of them appeared before Judge Phoebee Francois Thursday morning to ask that Shennett stay in the Broward County Jail without bond.
“The fact that the individual can be walking among us if he posts his bond within a few days is also a [concern] to the fire department and everybody,” said firefighter Liosdan Diaz. “Obviously, [Shennett] has a previous history [of violence] against emergency personnel so I want you to consider my statement and consider all the facts that you’ve seen when you’re setting your bond.”
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Firefighter Kiley Selvanik was driving the engine when the radiator was struck by one of the gunshots.
“I watched this man not shoot at us once, but shoot at us multiple times,” she said. “I don’t know how you can give this man a bond and let him go back to the street."
Judge Francois said that was not possible.
“I do have to set a bond in this case,” she said. ”He is entitled to a bond by law so I can’t hold him no bond."
But, the judge did set a bond of $50,000 on the new charge combined with the existing $100,000 bond for the original charge.
The public defender noted Shennett is unable to pay the $150,000 amount and will likely remain in jail.
According to the arrest report, Lauderhill Fire Rescue Engine 30 was answering an emergency medical call at the Cypress Grove Apartments at 4200 Northwest 19th Street about 4:20 p.m. Friday when security camera video showed a man firing at the vehicle.
Shennett was arrested Monday after pictures and video were circulated through the news media.
Records show he was deemed a career criminal with prior arrests dating back to 2000 for battery on a law enforcement officer, throwing objects at vehicles, resisting arrest, burglary, robbery, drug possession and fleeing police.
