PORT RICHEY, Fla. (WFLA) — The Port Richey fire chief and his wife were arrested Sunday after he crashed his motorcycle and she showed up at the scene.
It all started when New Port Richey police responded to the motorcycle crash in a parking lot on Madison Avenue. Chief Timothy Ollie Fussell was being treated for injuries when his wife Suzanna showed up.
Officers’ preliminary observations led them to believe Timothy was showing signs of impairment and might be under the influence, a statement said.
Investigators said that Timothy attempted to leave and became argumentative when he was advised he had to remain while the officers conducted their investigation. Suzanna advised her husband not to speak to the officers and had to be forcefully removed from the scene to stop her from impeding the crash investigation, they said.
Timothy was taken to North Bay Hospital, accompanied by an officer.
At the hospital, Suzanna refused to remain in the waiting room and attempted to force her way into the ambulance entrance-way. Officers said she created a disturbance and was subsequently allowed back to the room where her husband was being treated.
When she entered the room, she observed a nurse completing medical treatment which included a blood draw. Police said Suzanna continued to be disruptive and yelled for the medical personnel to remove the IV from her husband’s arm.
Suzanna managed to pull the tourniquet off, grabbed the medical tubes containing blood that had already been drawn and threw them in the hazardous waste container, police said.
Officers placed her under arrest for Obstruction and Tampering with Evidence.
After that, police said Timothy became upset and refused to obey an officer’s command to remain seated. They said Timothy swung his left arm toward the officer striking the officer on the face. Timothy was placed under arrest for Driving Under the Influence and Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer.
Suzanna and Timothy were booked into the Land O’ Lakes Detention Center.MORE TOP STORIES:
