A Detroit Fire Department battalion chief has been stripped of his pay after a motorcyclist accused him of a violent confrontation at a Livonia intersection, an incident that left the rider with a torn thumb ligament and a shattered phone. Thomas Suchora, who was on duty at Detroit Fire Department's Engine 6 on Russell Street, was identified in court records as the driver involved in the alleged road rage encounter near Plymouth Road and Levan Road.
The motorcyclist, Todd Richards, says he had no prior interaction with the driver before the confrontation began at a traffic light. According to WXYZ 7 News Detroit, a vehicle rapidly approached Richards at the light, and Richards said the driver threatened to harm him, kill him and beat him into the cement.
Per Richards's account, Suchora struck him in the face, smashed his glasses on the ground, grabbed his wrist and seized his phone before throwing it from the left-hand turn lane. Richards suffered a torn ligament in his thumb during the encounter and is now seeking compensation for his damaged phone, which he says was worth approximately $1,200. Two independent witnesses supported Richards's version of events, according to the police report cited in the outlet's reporting.
What the Police Report Describes
The same police report indicates Suchora was on a recorded call with a Hyundai dealership at the time of the confrontation, using expletives and honking his horn before exiting his vehicle. The report also states Suchora had repeatedly asked out a female employee at the dealership, and that she declined his advances on numerous occasions. Richards said he believed Suchora was upset because Richards had held him up at a railroad track beforehand.
LaFontaine Hyundai of Livonia is located at 34715 Plymouth Road, according to CBS News Detroit. Court records show Suchora has been charged with assault and battery as well as malicious destruction of property, both misdemeanors. Under Michigan Compiled Laws Section 750.81, a conviction for simple assault and battery carries a maximum of 93 days in jail and a $500 fine, while malicious destruction of personal property valued between $200 and $1,000 under Section 750.377a can bring up to a year in jail and fines reaching $2,000 or three times the damage value, per the Michigan Legislature.
A Public-Facing Chief Sidelined
Suchora was on duty at DFD's Engine 6 on Russell Street when the department confirmed his unpaid leave status. He declined an on-camera interview, as did his attorney, but he told the station the situation was not as it seems on paper. It's a striking turn for a battalion chief who spoke at the Linnhurst Street house-fire scene about firefighters battling freezing weather, according to FOX 2 Detroit.
Detroit Fire Department administrators confirmed Suchora was placed on leave without pay, saying the charges concerned an incident that occurred the previous month in another jurisdiction. The department said it takes the misdemeanor charges very seriously and will refrain from further comment while the legal process proceeds. Suchora was placed on leave pending the outcome of the criminal matter, and per union contracts, department employees would typically be placed on leave once formally charged with a crime.
The move follows a July case in which a Detroit Fire Department lieutenant was benched over federal charges and placed on administrative leave.
What Richards Wants Next
Richards says he wants the allegations to lead to significant consequences, and specifically wants Suchora to lose his job. Wayne County prosecutors have not indicated whether additional traffic-related charges will be added to the case. The exact valuation of the damaged phone in court proceedings and the timeline for any internal Detroit Fire Department administrative review remain unresolved as the 16th District Court case moves forward.
