Youngstown Fire Lieutenant accused of assaulting tow yard employee in Portage County
A Lieutenant with the Youngstown Fire Department was arrested in Portage County on April 3 for allegedly assaulting a tow yard employee while intoxicated.
According to a report from the Portage County Sheriff's Department, 44-year-old Patrick Bundy had his vehicle towed by John's Towing in Deerfield Township after deputies say he was arrested in Lake Milton the night before.
Deputies say Bundy arrived at the towing shop around 7:00 a.m. and was yelling at the employee from across a fence to give him the keys to his vehicle. The employee told Bundy he had to come back in one hour when the shop opened.
According to the report, Bundy made his way inside the office and continued to aggressively demand his keys allegedly grabbing the employee by the throat and punching him in the face.
When deputies spoke to Bundy, he told them that he had tripped near the front door and broke his ankle. However, the employee told deputies the injury happened when he struck Bundy in self defense and took him to the ground in order to subdue him.
Deputies say they could smell alcohol on Bundy's breath when speaking with him.
Bundy repeatedly refused medical treatment at the scene according to deputies despite multiple warnings of the negative consequences of refusing treatment.
Instead, deputies say Bundy continued to demand his keys, but deputies denied his request due to him still allegedly being intoxicated.
Deputies once again offered an ambulance ride to a hospital, and he requested to be taken to a hospital in Youngstown, but deputies say when crews were preparing to take him he began arguing about his keys once again.
Bundy was placed under arrest and was sent to a hospital in Portage County for treatment, but was told there would be a long wait to be seen.
He was instead issued a court summons for Ravenna Municipal Court and released on scene.
Bundy was arraigned on one count of Assault in the Ravenna Municipal Court on April 7 and is scheduled back for a pretrial hearing on May 3. Mahoning County Court records also show a marked lanes violation from the same time frame.
According to the report, the incident was captured on body cameras. 21 News has requested a copy of the body camera footage and is working to learn the status of Bundy's employment with the Youngstown Fire Department.
