‘I desire a experience’: Investigation on San Jose Pink Poodle strip membership scandal launched

(KRON) — The Metropolis of San Jose launched a 100-page last investigation report into the Pink Poodle strip membership scandal involving 4 firemen who gave a bikini-clad lady, and a photographer, a experience of their engine.

The scandal blew open final yr when an Instagram video uncovered a San Jose Fireplace Division engine with its emergency lights on whereas parked at The Pink Poodle’s entrance. The video posted by “San Jose Foos” confirmed a lady carrying solely a bikini and excessive heals stepping out of the fireplace engine and strolling into the strip membership.

“Solely in San Jose do you see a stripper come out of a firetruck,” the video’s caption wrote.

Investigators found that The Pink Poodle was one in all two grownup leisure institutions that Fireplace Engine 4 went to on the night time of October 5, 2022, regardless of receiving zero requires service throughout that point interval, in line with the report.

The report launched by the town to KRON4 on Tuesday identifies the 4 firefighters as: Fireplace Captain William Tognozzi, Fireplace Engineer Brian Dragges, Firefighter Matthew Westcott, and Fireplace Engineer Zach Clark. The firefighters advised investigators that they gave two Pink Poodle workers rides of their engine.

One in all The Pink Poodle workers was a photographer and a pal of Tognozzi.

The second Pink Poodle worker is simply referred to within the report as “unidentified lady.” “Throughout their administrative interviews, every (firefighter) interviewed supplied that they didn’t know her, nor did they study her identify,” the report states.

‘Awkward silent experience’ with Pink Poodle worker

Captain Tognozzi advised investigators that the lady stated, “Give me a experience. I desire a experience.” He determined to present her a brief experience to “appease her,” the report states.

Tognozzi is quoted within the report describing the experience as “a clumsy silent experience.” After the lady returned to the strip membership, Dragges stated the general feeling was, “What the heck was that?”

Not one of the 4 firefighters might clarify why, after “appeasing” the lady, their engine left the strip membership and went to a bikini bar.

Blowback from the scandal and investigation resulted in Fireplace Captain Tognozzi being demoted to the rank of fireside engineer. “Below your path, two unauthorized passengers boarded Fireplace Engine 4 for causes unrelated (to) metropolis enterprise. Metropolis-provided gear was used to conduct unofficial metropolis enterprise,” Fireplace Chief Robert Sapien wrote to Tognozzi. He was disciplined for misconduct, failing to carry out his duties, failing to comply with SJFD guidelines, and misusing metropolis property, in line with the report.

The 4-man crew was assigned to the San Jose Fireplace Division’s Fireplace Engine 4 B-Shift.

Fireplace Station 4 acquired zero requires service between 9 p.m. and 9:20 p.m., in line with the Nationwide Fireplace Incident Reporter System. “There was no name for service in that space and Fireplace Engine 4 was not dispatched to any location in the course of the related time interval. Any journey that was taken was voluntary and on the discretion of Tognozzi,” the report states.

Firetruck’s GPS Knowledge Uncovered Bikini Bar

Investigators stated GPS knowledge from the firetruck revealed that it stopped at The Pink Poodle, San Jose’s solely absolutely nude strip membership, in addition to AJ’s Restaurant & Bar, “one other grownup leisure membership that describes itself on-line as a bikini bar.”

When the firefighters have been requested to clarify why additionally they stopped on the bikini bar, “none was in a position to present a substantive rationalization. Most strikingly, not one of the 4 crew members acknowledge being there,” investigators wrote within the report.

Togonzzi merely stated, “I don’t know what to let you know,” the report states.

GPS location knowledge from the firetruck pinpointed precisely the place the engine went in the course of the journey:

• 9 p.m.: Firetruck leaves Fireplace Station 4
• 9:06 p.m.: Firetruck arrives at The Pink Poodle on Bascom Avenue
• 9:06 p.m. – 9:10 p.m.: Firetruck drives across the block, parks in entrance of The Pink Poodle for a second time, and leaves the strip membership
• 9:14 p.m.: Firetruck arrives at AJ’s Restaurant and Bikini Bar at 1111 Auzerais Avenue
• 9:16 p.m.: Firetruck leaves AJ’s Restaurant and Bikini Bar
• 9:20 p.m.: Firetruck arrives again at Fireplace Station 4

When the firefighters have been requested by investigators if the fireplace engine made any stops between leaving The Pink Poodle and arriving again at Fireplace Station 4, all of them replied that they’d no reminiscence of stopping on the bikini bar.

Captain Tognozzi wrote a abstract of what occurred on Oct. 5, 2022. “A pal/skilled photographer of E4B’s got here by the station to ship crew photographs,” he wrote. The photographer additionally labored at The Pink Poodle, the place he had a flash drive with extra pictures for the firefighters. “We provided to take him by to retrieve his thumb drive. The photographer known as a co-worker and requested her to carry out the thumb drive when the engine pulled up. The co-worker was very excited to see the fireplace engine and jumped in and requested a experience across the block. E4 obliged,” Tognozzi wrote.

Firefighters By no means Acquired The Flash Drive

All the premise of the fireplace engine’s journey to the strip membership and bikini bar was to retrieve a flash drive from the photographer. However as soon as the fireplace engine arrived again at Fireplace Station 4 with the photographer, the photographer left with the flash drive. The flash drive contained professional-style headshots of the firefighters that have been meant for use for a yearbook, in line with the report.

When the “San Jose Foos” video popped up on Instagram on October 6, 2022, the SJFD Fireplace Chief requested the 4 firefighters to put in writing memorandums about what occurred. Investigators wrote within the last report, “Upon assessment of the memorandums, it was notable that none of them referred to any discomfort with the scenario,” as they later claimed throughout interviews with investigators.

Firefighter Clark was requested if he thought the incident was in step with SJFD coverage. Clark responded, “Ah man, clearly no, it wasn’t look or the fitting factor to do.”

The Metropolis of San Jose was ordered by a choose to publicly launch the 100-page report after the town was sued by The Mercury Information.