Man Charged in Death of North East Firefighter Released from House Arrest, Monitoring

The man charged in connection to the death of a North East firefighter last year is now free as he awaits trial.

Fuller Hose Company volunteer firefighter Shawn Giles, 53, was killed in August 2023 while trying to direct traffic around an accident scene in North East.

Dawann Simmons, 42, was speeding when he came upon that earlier crash scene, hitting Giles with his car, according to police.

Simmons was freed from house arrest and electronic monitoring after a Thursday decision from Erie County Judge Dan Brabender, according to court records.

Prosecutors reportedly plan to appeal the decision.