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San Luis Obispo firefighter allegedly a wedding basher

June 13, 2011

By KAREN VELIE

A San Luis Obispo firefighter who put one man in the hospital during a wedding after-party earlier this month, allegedly bashed another man over the head with a full bottle of champagne during a 1997 wedding in Los Osos.

CalCoastNews has interviewed more than a dozen eyewitnesses of several attacks allegedly perpetrated by San Luis Obispo firefighter John Ryan Mason, 34. However, because of fear of Mason or worry over retribution, many have asked to have their names withheld. However, several members of law enforcement confirm the alleged assaults resulted in 911 calls.

At the 1997 wedding in Los Osos, held at 2095 Willow Drive, Mason participated in the ceremony as a groomsman. Several witnesses said Mason became agitated with a man who he claimed was ogling his date.

According to eyewitnesses, Mason allegedly grabbed a full bottle of champagne and bashed Al Beavers, the owner of Al’s Septic Pumping Service, on the head.

Mason attacked Beavers from behind, but witnesses said he hit the wrong man. The mistake happened because both Beavers and the other man had beards.

Nevertheless, Beavers was transported to the hospital with broken teeth and a cracked jaw. He required oral surgery in order to recover from the alleged assault.

Though San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the alleged assault, Mason had already fled and was not arrested.

On June 4, Mason allegedly followed Jory Brigham, 32, into the bathroom of Pappy McGregor’s in San Luis Obispo. Witnesses said Mason kept aggressively backing Brigham into the rear of the bathroom upset about a post Brigham had put on Facebook,  which noted Brigham’s view on infidelity.

“It is blowing my mind recently how lightly marriage is taken, and how it is almost socially acceptable to walk out on your family,” Brigham said on his Facebook page on January 27.

After asking Mason to stop on behalf of the newlyweds, one witness went to get help. Another person entered the bathroom to allegedly find the off-duty firefighter beating an unconscious Brigham about the face and head.

On Friday, during seven hours of surgery, doctors placed four plates in Brigham’s head and wired his jaw shut. Because his tongue was severely swollen, surgeons mistakenly sewed his tongue to his jaw. They plan to correct the error and expect further surgeries may be required in the future, the family said in an email obtained by CalCoastNews.

Before the alleged assault on Brigham, Mason attempted to catch a cab home. However, even though witnesses said he did not appear drunk, Mason became argumentative with the taxi driver and was ultimately told he could not enter the cab.

Mason fled the scene and was arrested by San Luis Obispo police five days after the alleged assault on Brigham.

 


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Wonder if he got a pass in 1997 because then-SLO Fire Chief Bob Nuemann lives around the corner from 2095 Willow (aka Julie Tacker’s property)?


How could such a violent attack to without so much as an arrest????


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QUOTING ARTICLE: “CalCoastNews has interviewed more than a dozen eyewitnesses of several attacks allegedly perpetrated by San Luis Obispo firefighter John Ryan Mason, 34. However, because of fear of Mason or worry over retribution, many have asked to have their names withheld. However, several members of law enforcement confirm the alleged assaults resulted in 911 calls.”


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What the he**, Mel? Is SLO now vying for New Orleans’ reputation as the city where the there is the most fear of the police by the populace?


I think we need a GJ investigation of SLO’s police, Sheriffs Department,and Fire Department.


If the GJ isn’t willing to do that, or if SLO won’t let them, then SLO needs to put up advertisements int ravel magazines clearly informing potential travelers that if they visit SLO, especially if they go out to a public place where there is food, drinking and/or entertainment, they run the risk of being viciously assaulted by one of SLO’s first-repsonders’ personnel, that the perpetrator will be protected by the other groups of first-responders and SLO, who will act in unison to coverup the assault.


This is absolutely NUTS. The incompetence and mismanagement by SLO of the taxpayer-funded Fire service, police and sheriffs is a threat to anybody who happens to have the misfortune to cross paths with one of SLO’s “finest” on the street.


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Elementary Combat Lesson 2


Stop the fight before it starts or avoid it.

Victim never wanted a fight, never started it, never had the chance to deflect, never had a chance!!!!!!!!!

Mason pursed, Mason fled!!!!!!!!!!!


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Yes, Mason fled. He also viciously attacked at least one of his victims from behind.


Clearly, Mason is a coward. I can’t imagine what they have to do to force him to get out of the firetruck to fight a fire. He probably holds on to the steering wheel for dear life, crying like a little girlie.


Why is SLO, the Sheriffs, the firefighters and the police protecting this d-bag? Their own reputations are being trashed by their protection of this vicious coward.


If they don’t come out against this, and I mean like NOW, quit protecting a**holes like Mason, and order an independent investigation–and I mean a REAL independent investigation, not a John Wallace-style investigation–they can expect taxpayer opposition for any increase in funding for them.


I can predict this because I have a history of decades of political activism, and I will organize the resistance against funding violent psychopaths and those who protect them.


That’s a catchy name, isn’t it? “STOP TAXPAYER FUNDING OF SLO-UNIFORMED VIOLENT PSYCHOPATHS AND THOSE WHO COVER IT UP.” Prolly have to shorten it a bit. How about “STOP TAXYPER FUNDING OF VIOLENT PSYCHOPATHS”?


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I seem to remember that during the Sheriff’s race, it came out that Ian Parkinson had had Chuck LIddell help train the SLO PD in MMA type of fighting so that they could better handle themselves when confronted on the job; I have to wonder then if any of the firefighters had the ability to train at the same time and perhaps that is where Mr. Mason picked his “skills” that enabled him to do so much damage to his victim, and if that is the case, is it possible that the SLO PD officers in charge of this case gave Mr. Mason some time to detox and calm down before they finally “had” to arrest him due to public outcry? I am one who also doubts that it is the union connection that enabled the delay in the arrest, more like a “professional courtesy” similar to the Sheriff’s Deputies who did not arrest the intoxicated CHP commander; a “looking out for” the fellow public safety employee more than any other connection. Regardless, the delay in the arrest needs to be addressed, if not by our highly overpaid city manager, perhaps our city council will call the Chief of Police in front of them to discuss how this whole delay-of-arrest went down. I also agree that Mr. Mason should be fired as soon as possible, that he needs to have his bail raised, and “if” convicted he needs to pay for all medical bills for his victim as well as serve some hard time. His repeating pattern of behavior certainly seems to indicate that he has no regard for his fellow human beings if he has any hint that someone is directing attention towards him in some perceived sort of “personal attack”; he may be fine fire fighter, a dedicated EMT, but his anger issues certainly seem to override any professional attributes he may possess.


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If Mason was trained in martial arts then he can be charged with “assault with a deadly weapon” in this case. That’s one possible explanation for the SLOPD’s reluctance to arrest Mason.


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Two things bother me about this case:

1. The Government Agencies involved all have resourses to CYA themselves at tax payer’s cost.

2. Mason has more income than his victims to get the better legal defense.


3. The resultant may have mitagating factors to Mason’s advantage because all Government Agencies failed to do what is right timely!

4. That is how it simply is!


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I don’t see any mitigating circumstances for Mason. According to witnesses, Mason followed Jory into the bathroom, Witnesses said Mason kept aggressively backing Brigham into the rear of the bathroom, they said they asked him to stop and they went for help. When the next person entered, Jory was unconscious on the floor and Mason was still hitting him in the head and face. How is he going to get out of that one? Do you think claiming that he was provoked over Jory saying…“It is blowing my mind recently how lightly marriage is taken, and how it is almost socially acceptable to walk out on your family,” on his FaceBook Page, is going to gain him any sympathy?

The jury is going to love that one alright. Mason is finished, he will take a plea deal and that’s where the public scrutiny and pressure comes in to demand justice and a hard sentence. No doubt the Brigham family will have to file a civil suit to cover their lost wages, medical, pain, suffering, disfigurement and all that. I hope they take his pension.


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For many of you who may not realize, It is not uncommon for victime of head trauma to experience life long physical and mental deficit and seizures.(Felony)


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Plus, will he get extra attention at security check-in at the airports, or what!


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What a coward Mason is. And, to the Sheriffs who let him get covered up for this d-bag…Mason appears to be targeting Sheriffs’ wives now, so enjoy your just desserts.


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FYI

A bottle does as mush damage as a lead pipe.

Even if you are skilled and fast enough to deflect the assult which no described victims have been able to do, you would still be bruised badly.

It tells me Mason’s first method is to incapacitated by the element of surprise or suddenness, then to finish off (fast follow through) the damage while the victim was down or stunned!

What bothers me more is, his credibility as a Safety Officer, gives him an edge on credibility, to explain away (excuss) his actions causing “delays” in collecting evidence.

Don’t forget he went after (pursued them!!!!!!!!) his victims, not avoided him (and likely prepared to explain the victim made a threating advance at him)!!!


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If this MF was atruely righteous a Safety Officer/ Public Servant, he would have called LE or waited for them and explained what had occurred then but instead he fled each time and every time like a thug or rouge PO.

He is a disgrace to Safety Officers, and was being paid on desk duty (preferential treatement (To work out agency CYA), evidence of the crime is lost and/or diminished. All agencies involved in trying to CYA this A.H’s defence should be named in a lawsuit which will cost us!


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As stupid as it may sound, he should have stayed in each assult to render first aid for the damage he caused!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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!!!!!!!


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But then he would have to face the responsibility for his actions, and, clearly, Mason is too much of a coward to do that.


I wonder how many other firefighters are as cowardly and vicious as Mason? They sure seem to support him in it.


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“Mason attacked Beavers…Beavers was transported to the hospital with broken teeth and a cracked jaw. He required oral surgery in order to recover from the alleged assault…Mason had already fled and was not arrested.”


I don’t get this part of the story,–not that I doubt its validity. But 14 years ago, Mason seriously hurt another man but was not arrested. WHY NOT? Why didn’t Mr. Beavers file a police report and press charges? Were Mason’s other alleged victims THAT scared to not press charges?


The more I read about this Mason guy, the more I think he needs more than anger management; he needs to do some hard time.


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