Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


A man charged with impersonating a Brighton Firefighter has been sentenced and avoided jail time.

18-year-old Ethyn Clark of Grand Blanc was ordered to serve two years of probation. He earlier pleaded guilty as charged to impersonating a firefighter and using a police radio/scanner in the commission of a felony.

The charges were tied to an incident at the scene of a fire on February 13th. Unadilla Township Police responded to assist fire crews with a structure fire on Van Syckle Court. During suppression efforts, Police said Clark arrived on scene in a personal vehicle equipped with emergency lights and siren he was using. He had minimal firefighting gear including a helmet, safety vest, and a radio. Police say Clark identified himself as a Brighton firefighter, but the Brighton Area Fire Department had not been dispatched to assist.

Clark was not allowed to participate in firefighting efforts. Police were able to identify him and discovered he has a history of impersonating emergency personnel in various counties.

Clark was sentenced recently in Livingston County Circuit Court under the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act or H-Y-T-A, which means he will not have a criminal record if he successfully completes probation. Prosecutors had argued against that status, as Clark continues to be interested in becoming a first responder.