Ex-radio host faces a charge of assault

12/24/2008

Former radio personality Troy Neff has been charged with assault for his role in a road-rage incident earlier this month.

Mr. Neff, 40, of Curtice faces up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine if convicted of the first-degree misdemeanor, which was filed Monday afternoon in Perrysburg Municipal Court. The case is scheduled for arraignment Jan. 2.

"Further investigation led us to the conclusion that he should be charged with assault as a willing participant in this altercation," said Sgt. Mark Hetrick, a Perrysburg Township detective.

Mr. Neff had said previously he might be charged with something for the fight and wasn't surprised. "I've already hired an attorney and will fight the charge," he said yesterday.

Attorney Drew Griffith is representing Mr. Neff.

"I haven't seen the specifics of the charge, however Troy is a victim in this case and we intend to defend the charge vigorously," he said.

Mr. Neff was stabbed in the shoulder, arm, and hand during the road-rage fight that occurred in Perrysburg Township on Dec. 10.

Jeffrey Hardeman, 42, of Knoxville, Tenn., has been charged with felonious assault and tampering with evidence. His case will be bound over to a Wood County grand jury.

Mr. Neff and Mr. Hardeman got into a fight after Mr. Hardeman cut off Mr. Neff on Holiday Lane, near Mr. Neff's financial business, Advanced Retirement Solutions.

Words were exchanged, the men got out of their cars, and they fought.

The stories vary as far as who hit whom first, but the accounts of Mr. Hardeman and Mr. Neff otherwise align.

Since the incident, Mr. Neff's radio show, the Troy Neff Show on WCWA-AM, was taken off the air and his column in the Toledo Free Press was canceled.

Mr. Neff said he believes his radio show was canceled because he did not support the Take Back Toledo campaign and allowed local politicians an outlet to speak on his show.

The column was canceled because he submitted to the newspaper material from columns from PPC Inc., a news service to which he subscribes, as if it were his own writing.

He has apologized for doing so and said he did not intend to misrepresent himself or damage the newspaper's reputation.