Retired Mount Vernon firefighter defends outburst at protesters near 9/11 anniversary ceremony
The Mount Vernon Fire Department released a statement saying the conduct and actions do not reflect its values.
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A viral video online shows former Mount Vernon firefighter John Chirichella yelling and cursing at a group of pro-Palestine demonstrators near the Sept. 11 25th anniversary ceremony on Friday.
"I said, 'I have to go see what's going on, and if they're mocking America, I'm going,'" remembered Chirichella, who goes to the ceremony every year. "I go over there, and this guy is ranting and raving, you know, 'The Jews are no good,' and it just struck a chord."
Chirichella, who is known as "Johnny Church" by most people, served 30 years with the Mount Vernon Fire Department and was even vice president of the city's firefighters' union before retiring in 2024.
While he has no social media and claims he does not even own a computer, plenty of people recognized him right away and let him know how big the clip was getting.
"My ex-boss calls me up. He says, 'Johnny - you're all over the news,'" Chirichella said.
The day and space are extremely personal to Chirichella.
On Sept. 11, 2001, Chirichella finished his shift in Mount Vernon, then went down to ground zero to help out.
For the next week, he went back and forth, also helping organize buses for other Westchester firefighters.
"The nerve that (the protestors) had to come there and use 9/11 in Manhattan as a podium to bash America... We have the First Amendment right as a freedom of speech, but there's a time and a place," he said.
In a statement, Mount Vernon Fire Commissioner Kevin Holt distanced the department from the video, saying Chirichella was there not in any official capacity - only as a private citizen.
"I thought it was a low blow," Chirichella said of the statement. "I just thought that they were trying to protect themselves."
The statement goes on to say that his language and conduct in the video "do not reflect the values of the Mount Vernon Fire Department."
"My mission was not to disgrace the city or the uniform. It just happened," Chirichella said. "They were in the wrong place at the wrong time and met the wrong guy."
Chirichella says he hopes that if people take anything from the video, it would be not to be afraid to speak up and defend America.
