Florida Fire Chief and Wife Arrested After Accident

The fire chief of Port Richey and his wife were arrested over the weekend following a motorcycle accident. Timothy Ollie Fussell was charged with driving under the influence and battery on a law enforcement officer, and his wife, Suzanna, was charged with obstruction of justice and tampering with evidence.

The arrests followed a motorcycle accident involving Chief Fussell Sunday evening. A responding Port Richey police officer suspected Chief Fussell of being impaired, and claims the chief hit him in the face.

Mrs. Fussell was not involved in the accident but was accused of trying to dispose of blood samples a nurse was drawing at North Bay Hospital following the crash.

 

About Curt Varone

Curt Varone has over 45 years of fire service experience and 35 as a practicing attorney licensed in both Rhode Island and Maine. His background includes 29 years as a career firefighter in Providence (retiring as a Deputy Assistant Chief), as well as volunteer and paid on call experience. He is the author of two books: Legal Considerations for Fire and Emergency Services, (2006, 2nd ed. 2011, 3rd ed. 2014, 4th ed. 2022) and Fire Officer's Legal Handbook (2007), and is a contributing editor for Firehouse Magazine writing the Fire Law column.
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