Chula Vista Fire Department engineer Jacob Gregoire was among emergency personnel responding to a rollover crash on Interstate 805 Tuesday night.
A CHP officer, whose identity was not released, took Gregoire into custody after a discussion over whether a fire engine needed to be moved, according to Chula Vista Fire Chief Dave Hanneman.
The chief said an engine was partially blocking a lane to protect an ambulance and those who were helping the crash victims.
When Gregoire told the officer that he could not move the engine right away, the officer put Gregoire in handcuffs and placed him in the back of a squad car.
Supervisors from both sides were called, and Gregoire was eventually released after about 30 minutes.
Hanneman said the officer's actions could have potentially made the situation more dangerous.
Both sides met Wednesday to discuss the incident and released the following joint statement: "This morning representatives from both agencies met to discuss the incident to improve communication and ensure the highest level of service is provided to the public. This incident will be a topic of future joint training sessions, in an ongoing effort to work more efficiently together."
The Associated Press and CNN contributed to this report.
