Ex-fire chief again held in domestic violence

Brian M. Anderson NOT BLADE PHOTO Enlarge

FOSTORIA - For the second time since May, the city's former acting fire chief has been charged with domestic violence for an incident involving his wife.

Bond was set at $50,000 Monday in Fostoria Municipal Court for Brian M. Anderson, 46, who was being held in the Wood County jail.

Mr. Anderson, who was acting fire chief when he was arrested May 15 for domestic violence stemming from a separate incident, was demoted to captain and returned to work June 30.

Fostoria's Safety-Service Director Dennis Fligor said he was waiting for more information about Sunday's incident before determining what to do next. Both incidents occurred while Mr. Anderson, a 16-year employee, was off duty.

"You're held to a certain degree of conduct, and it's spelled out in the personnel policy. However, this is the second incident so this does not help his situation," Mr. Fligor said.

He added that Mr. Anderson has had a good record on the job.

"I had just given him in January an above-average review," Mr. Fligor said. "What are you going to do? A review is based upon his work ethic."

Wood County Sheriff's deputies were called to Mr. Anderson's Perry Township home about 4:15 p.m. Sunday by his wife, Amanda Anderson, 33, who said her husband had "choked her out."

Mrs. Anderson told deputies he had come home intoxicated from playing golf. She said he grabbed her around the throat when she told him he should not go to the pharmacy to fill a prescription because he was intoxicated and had an open container in his vehicle.

Before deputies arrived, Mr. Anderson had returned to the house and became angry when he saw that his wife had put some of his clothes outside the door that leads to the garage. She told deputies that he grabbed her laptop computer and snapped the cover off, and, when they went out to the garage, he pushed her down.

On May 15, Mr. Anderson was charged with domestic violence after Mrs. Anderson reported that her husband hit her on the face with his fist, grabbed her around the throat, and stamped on her foot after he awoke and found her reading text messages on a cell phone that had been in his lap. He also reportedly set a pile of her clothing on fire in the driveway.

Tiffin attorney Dean Henry, who is representing Mr. Anderson, could not be reached for comment.