Pennsylvania fire chief charged with child abuse, dropping infant daughter
A Pennsylvania fire chief has been suspended indefinitely after police allege he admitted to intentionally dropping his infant daughter on her head earlier this month because she would not stop crying.
Falls Township Fire Chief Brian Salt, 36, was charged and arraigned Thursday on a charge of felony child endangerment, and ungraded charge of aggravated assault on a person under age 13 and misdemeanor simple assault.
He is incarcerated in Bucks County Corrections Center in lieu of $500,000 bail.
Affidavit: 3-month-old had skull fracture, according to hospital doctors
Falls police opened an investigation into Salt after responding to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia on March 12 for a report of a three-month-old infant with a skull fracture.
Doctors told police that substantial force caused the fracture, and bruising was found on the infant’s lower right leg and blood in her eye, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Police allege the child’s parents told them that Salt’s wife had left for work around 7:30 a.m. on March 11 and she did not see anything unusual including injuries before leaving, the affidavit said. The infant was left in Salt’s care.
The couple described the infant as a “fussy” baby who had colic, a condition that occurs in otherwise healthy babies characterized by frequent intense crying and fussiness, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Salt initially told police when he could not console the baby after his wife left, he brought her to his in-laws who live nearby, the affidavit said. While he was there, he told police he saw a large, unexplained bump on the back of the baby’s head.
He called the pediatrician who told him to take the child to CHOP, the affidavit said.
Police: Fire chief 'simply lost control over her uncontrolled crying'
In a follow-up police interview on Thursday with the couple, Brian Salt allegedly told police that while he was caring for his daughter on March 11 she became fussy and inconsolable after he attempted to feed her.
He placed the infant in a swing, but she could not stop crying. When he pulled her out of the swing, he allegedly told police he “lost” her.
When asked to clarify, Salt stated he intentionally let her fall to the ground striking her head, the affidavit said.
“He advised that he simply lost control over her uncontrolled crying,” the document said.
Salt told police that he immediately knew the infant injured her head and he brought his daughter to his in-laws and told them he just discovered the injury and didn’t know how it happened.
Fire chief suspended
Salt will remain suspended pending the outcome of his court case, fire company President McClellan II said in a written statement Friday. Salt has been a member of the volunteer fire company for 12 years in May, and served as its chief only since December.
The company's Deputy Chief Nathan Nelson will serve as interim chief, McClellan said.
“During this challenging time, our thoughts and prayers are with the Salt family,” McClellan added. “We understand the impact this situation has on our community, and we are committed to ensuring transparency as we move forward."
Reporter Jo Ciavaglia can be reached at jciavaglia@gannett.com