JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A captain with the Jacksonville Fire Rescue Department, arrested Friday for allegedly violating a stalking injunction, and criminally cited Feb. 2 for allegedly fleeing a hit and run crash, had prior discipline for DUI, according to city employment records.
New police, city and court documents obtained by First Coast News show a pattern of concerning behavior dating back to 2010, as well as allegations in of special treatment due to family connections.
Captain Christopher Lewis’ father, Roger Lewis, formerly served as a deputy chief with JFRD and as the firefighter union's president. Lewis’ brother, father and grandfather all worked for JFRD.
A Dec. 20, 2010 memo from Lewis’ discipline file titled “Arrest Record” says the agency “was notified of your arrest for suspicion of DUI/DWI.” His punishment for the arrest was a reduction from a 56-hour work week to a 40-hour work week.
Earlier this month, JFRD changed his assignment from 56 to a 40-hour work week with limited administrative duties.
Both the stalking allegations and the hit-and-run incident involve allegations of alcohol use. The police report from the crash, which caused an estimated $50,000 worth of damage, says, “it should be noted that we believe this incident are related to 911 calls” that came in regarding reckless and drunk driving.
The request for the staking injunction, filed by Lewis' former girlfriend on Feb. 14, cites “a downward spiral of his alcohol-fueled instability” as a concern, along with his alleged threats to come to her house and force her to shoot and kill him.
“The respondent has an alcohol abuse problem and cannot be trusted to make good decisions when drinking, as evidenced by his car crash on 2/12/22,” the petition says
A separate police report for a wellness check on Feb. 13, the former girlfriend noted she was “a bit concerned due to Lewis' recent accident which she believed involved alcohol.” That report cites a prior wellness check in 2020 in which police were called but that no action was taken “after officers on scene placed a call to a JFRD district chief.”
The stalking petition claims Lewis “has been able to get out of multiple situations where he should have experience consequences such as a DUI…However, the respondent’s connections have always afforded him a cushion on which to land.”
Randy Wyse, president of the local firefighter’s union, disputes the allegations of favoritism.
"I don’t see any case of favoritism up until this point," Wyse told First Coast News.
He notes that for first responders, being involved in a case like this will draw additional attention.
“We are public servants, and we are held to a higher standard and more scrutiny, obviously,” Wyse said.
Wyse says the union will represent Lewis if JFRD takes disciplinary action beyond his current limited duty assignment but will wait until the criminal cases and a parallel Integrity investigation conclude.
Lewis bonded out of jail following his court appearance Friday. He was ordered to avoid alcohol and any contact with the alleged victim.
He did not yet enter a plea. His next court date for the stalking injunction is March 3. He heads to court for allegedly violating the injunction and the hit-and-run case on March 23.