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SLO firefighter claims self defense

September 2, 2011

San Luis Obispo firefighter John Ryan Mason testified Thursday he threw punches in self-defense following an argument in a bathroom at Pappy McGregor’s Bar & Grill on Monterey Street in June.

John Ryan Mason, 34, allegedly beat Jory Brigham, 32, unconscious after an eight-month rift stemming from claims the firefighter was having an affair with another man’s wife. Brigham, the husband of Mason’s wife’s best friend, had posted a message on his Facebook page that men should not leave their wives for woman they are having affairs with.

Mason admitted to police he was upset over the Facebook post. He, however, told officers Brigham was the aggressor during their June altercation, according to the police report.

Mason had no injuries while Brigham required three metal plates to be placed in his face and his jaw to be wired shut.

Brigham testified he repeatedly told his assailant to let go of the past dispute at Thursday’s hearing to determine if there is sufficient evidence to proceed to trial.

Five days after the alleged assault, officers booked Mason into San Luis Obispo County Jail on suspicion of assault with great bodily injury, battery with serious bodily injury, and inflicting great bodily injury while committing a felony.

Mason bailed out of jail and returned to work at the San Luis Obispo Fire Department. City officials placed Mason on desk duty while the city performs an investigation.

 


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Very simple- A PICTURE IS WORTH 1000 WORDS.


Mason should now go and claim his medical disability with the fire department, too much smoke caused this, and collect his tax free retirement while he is riding out of town.


This should be a slam dunk. By out of town I mean Soledad Correctional Facility.


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With Mason’s history of violent attacks on citizens, I think he should be sent to Patton. He is dangerous to any citizens with whom he comes into contact, and he should not be allowed to roam the streets looking for new victims.


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Mary,

Even if SLOFD does have a policy regarding off-duty conduct, it can be difficult to write and difficult to enforce. You can’t just fire people over allegations or suspicions. Proof is required, as it should be. Re: your second paragraph, this wasn’t an on-duty incident. There’s the difference. I’m surprised that you would accuse me of covering up for him because I’m only pointing out the problems inherent with this kind of off-duty behavior. I think you’re way off base with your “cover-up” accusations in this particular case. If there truly was a cover-up you certainly wouldn’t be reading about this case in the newspaper, would you? You seem to see conspiracies and I don’t.


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Please, go peddle your apologista routine to someone else.


There are enough of the City staff and SLOFD firefighters covering up for mason’s murderous attack on Brigham.


I’m sure they appreciate you playing the Wise Old Man and trying to brainwash us into accepting the fact that the courts will do what the SLOFD and its fireighters have done for Mason–instead of speaking out against what he did, joining together to coverup and spinning it away–like you are doing.


There is a clear attempt here to shift blame from Mason, the SLOFD, the SLOFD firefighters to the courts and anybody and everybody else.


Now you are trying to shift the blame to WORDS.


Really, LOOK AT THE PICTURES.


Have you no shame at all?


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Jory Brigham looks to be a slight built man compared to Fireman “The Badge” Mason.


I’d bet Jory’s never been in a fight in his entire life! Just a guess…


Mason didn’t have to keep BEATING Jory once he was down and out, unless he was trying to kill him…imho…


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Yeah, I agree. Mason is a coward. Now he’s hiding behind the skirts of Chief Hines, his fellow firefighters, the PD, and anyone else who will shield him while he cowers hiding behind them.


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I DON’T THINK SO, MR. MASON . . . .


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.


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.


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Hummm, I have a great idea. Maybe we could take Mason (switch FD badge for PD badge) and Cramer and put them exclusively on the Paso Robles gang unit. They would not be allowed to engage any citizens other than gang memebers! No matter what they said or did, we would never question that they must have been right!


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Oh my! What a politically incorrect idea, Cindy…LOVE it!


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Or better yet . . . a bum fight starring Mason vs. Kramer!


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A Picture Paints a Thousand Words

This term which means a story told by pictures as well as a vast amount of descriptive text comes from the quotation ‘One picture is worth ten thousand words’, Frederick R. Barnard in Printer’s Ink, 8 Dec 1921 retelling a Chinese proverb. .


Pretty much sums up Mason’s part. He is an arrogant cocky guy who unfortunately hasn’t figured it out yet. This is his personality formed long before the victim of this incident fell prey to him. I hope the citizens of San Luis protest his employment if he is not fired from his job. No wonder Yes on A and B passed. After the diatribe from Rob Farino and the pompousness of Mason I can only imagine what is to come.


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Well, reminds me of the story of the police finding a dead man with a revolver and pronounced it a ‘suicide.’ After the officer was confronted with the fact that the gun involved was a revolver ( a six shooter) and the dead man was shot 12 times… he remarked, “worst case of suicide I have ever seen!”


I think a blind man could see this one,too.


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The city needs to grow a pair and fire this Mason dude. He’s a Lethal Weapon.


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Dont forget about running the piece of two legged excrement (masons attorney) who claims they were in a consensual match as friends. Mason isn’t a lethal weapon, he’s a chickenshit PXXXy who beat up a smaller person who had no hand to hand skills to protect himself.


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Don’t forget the part about how Mason continued to beat Bigham once he was down.


I wonder if all the SLOFD firefighters are cowards? They sure don’t mind covering up for one.


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You F%$k with the bull you will get the horns and it looks to have happened here. However I feel the fireman or “Hero” as they are called around here is probably going to go down in this one.


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Do I understand you correctly? Are you saying that it is Bigham’s fault that Mason followed him into the mens’ room, picked a verbal fight with him, then, even after Bigham asked him to just forget it for that time because it was a wedding, etc., Mason then beat him down to the point where Bigham required five surgical plates being placed into his face?


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Coyote is telling us that if a psychopath comes across his son or his father and the crazy guy beats them to a pulp then that’s what his father or son gets for coming accross the psychopath. Geez coyote sounds a bit odd if I’m reading his/her post correctly.


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Thanks, Typo. How it read to me sounded so out of character for Coyote. I appreciate your help in interpretation.


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Good grief, just legalize dueling and let these matters be resolved in a gentleman’s manner. CCN, don’t you think these photos are a bit over the top?


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These photo’s are hard to look at. I didn’t need to see them. There are witnesses who say Mason started it and they even went for help to make him stop but he already had Jory knocked out on the floor and was kicking him when they got back. Mason is going down and he better get some jail time along with his anger management classes and a permanent pink slip from the FD.


Mason and Cramer = two hoods that need to get out of our neighborhood and off the public payroll.


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Maxfusion…


You are making light of a very serious matter Please keep ypu immature remarks limited to the elementary school you attend.


And yes you are probably too young to see the graphic pictures. But for adults it is called cold hard reality facts that you will only see and read about on CNN!


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I meant CCN, CalCoastNews.


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Hahha, I recall when CNN first became well known and popular, they were on the scene reporting the war in Iraq in 1990. CCN is coming know as the on scene media site reporting on the war in SLO county!


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I didn’t read the article yet as the picture are pretty hard for me to handle. I skipped past as fast as I could and I’ve only read the comments. I don’t need to see these pictures, a brief description would have been good enough for those of us that can read. I guess for those that need pictures then these are good for you.


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