Veteran Lexington, KY, Captain Charged with Assault after Fireworks Incident
Lexington Herald-Leader
(TNS)
A firefighter with the Lexington Fire Department is on leave after being arrested and charged in connection with an alleged assault at an Independence Day party.
Lexington Fire Captain Brandon Voet was arrested on Thursday in Clark County and charged with fourth-degree assault, a misdemeanor.
Voet, 42, of the Berry community in Harrison County, is accused of causing minor injuries to Nicholas Blair during a fight at a home on Elkin Station Road in Clark County on July 5, court records show.
Blair told police that Voet was throwing lit fireworks “near seated guests and playing children” in the pool area and had been asked to stop.
Blair protested when Voet threw a lit firework toward him, and then he said Voet allegedly came up behind him, asked if he wanted to fight and “grabbed him by the neck, threw him to the ground, and jumped on top of him,” a complaint warrant filed in Clark District Court states.
Another man “tried to pull Voet off,” and Blair said he grabbed a piece of firewood. The arrest warrant says Voet then put Blair in a headlock “cutting off his airway” until he was able to get away.
Blair told police he sought medical treatment on July 7 for cuts and what might be a torn muscle in his shoulder. He said he thought alcohol “contributed to Voet’s behavior.”
Police said Voet told them Blair “pushed him first,” and “when he saw Blair with the firewood, ‘it was time to get serious.’”
Voet has worked for the Lexington Fire Department since 2006, according to a news release from the department.
“In accordance with departmental procedure, he has been placed on paid administrative duty pending the outcome of the criminal investigation,” the release stated. “An internal investigation will follow.”
Voet’s arraignment is scheduled for July 21.
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