A Detroit Fire Department battalion chief has been placed on unpaid leave after prosecutors charged him over an August confrontation with a motorcyclist in Livonia, Michigan.
Thomas Suchora, 57, faces misdemeanor assault and battery and malicious destruction of property charges stemming from the Aug. 25 encounter near Plymouth and Levan roads.
Todd Richards, 64, said he had been riding his motorcycle toward a haircut appointment when a vehicle came up rapidly behind him after the two crossed railroad tracks. What followed, Richards said, left him with a torn ligament in his hand, broken glasses, and a damaged phone.
Suchora was charged Sept. 9 in Livonia’s 16th District Court. The Detroit Fire Department subsequently placed the battalion chief on leave without pay pending the outcome of the case.
At The Light
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Richards told WXYZ that he had reached the intersection of Plymouth and Levan roads when a white Hyundai or Kia approached quickly from behind.
He said the driver moved into his space while he sat on the motorcycle and threatened to hurt him. Richards said there had been no previous exchange between the men and that they did not know each other.
Court records reviewed by WXYZ identified the driver as Suchora, who was off duty at the time.
Richards said Suchora struck him in the face, pulled off his glasses, and smashed them onto the pavement before returning to his vehicle.
When Richards took out his phone to photograph the vehicle and its license plate, he said Suchora returned, grabbed his wrist, forced his thumb backward, took the phone, and threw it across the street.
Richards said the encounter tore a ligament in his thumb. He valued the damaged phone at approximately $1,200.
Another Record
The confrontation was not documented solely through Richards’ account.
WXYZ reported that two independent witnesses gave accounts to Livonia police that supported his version of events.
The station also reported that Suchora was on a recorded phone call with a Hyundai dealership during the confrontation. According to the police report reviewed by WXYZ, officers listening to the recording could hear Suchora using expletives and his horn before he got out of his vehicle.
Richards said Suchora told him he was angry because Richards had delayed him at the nearby railroad crossing.
Suchora was later charged with assault and battery and malicious destruction of property, both misdemeanors. The 16th District Court maintains the public court record system for cases filed in Livonia.
Off The Job
Suchora had remained at work after the incident and was at Detroit Fire Department Engine 6 when WXYZ attempted to interview him in late September.
He and his attorney declined an on-camera interview or formal statement, although Suchora told the station that the situation was “not as it seems on paper.”
The department then placed him on unpaid leave.
Executive Fire Commissioner Chuck Simms said the department learned that misdemeanor charges had been filed against one of its battalion chiefs in connection with an incident outside Detroit and placed him on leave pending the criminal case.
“Members of our leadership team are held to the highest standards of professionalism, accountability and conduct,” Simms said.
Local 4 reported that Suchora has worked for the department since 1995.
What Comes Next
Richards said he went to the hospital the day of the confrontation and intends to pursue a civil lawsuit over his injuries and damaged property.
He told Local 4 that he had tried to remain calm during the encounter because he feared being seriously injured.
Suchora is due back in 16th District Court on Oct. 8 as the misdemeanor case continues.