A Charlotte fire captain is due in court this week for a misdemeanor domestic assault.
A preliminary hearing for Tyger Fullerton of Charlotte is scheduled for Thursday, according to the Eaton County District Attorney’s Office.
A woman told police on Aug. 22, 2021, that Fullerton pushed her down the stairs during an argument, though Fullerton told police she fell down the stairs, according to a police report from Michigan State.
The woman and Fullerton are in a custody dispute, according to court records. She has a personal protection order against him. A judge refused to end that order earlier this year after Fullerton described the woman as the attacker and said she made false charges against him to police.
A state police sergeant arrested Fullerton in August and officers took him to the Eaton County Jail, according to the police report.
Investigators reviewed home security footage provided by Fullerton showing part of the upper floor of the home with the staircase just out of sight. This video includes audio of the woman falling and shows Fullerton walking away from the area afterwards, according to the report.
The woman can be heard saying “You just pushed me in the [expletive] stairs,” according to the report.
Charlotte City Manager Erin LaPere confirmed that Fullerton is still employed by the city, but she declined to say whether he had been suspended or disciplined, calling it “personal.” She did not respond to a question about Fullerton’s current salary.
Nicole Samuel, who is listed as Fullerton’s attorney in the custody dispute and the OPP, declined to comment through her office.
A lawyer representing the woman also declined to comment.
Personnel issues have beset the city’s fire department in recent weeks. Charlotte’s 23 active on-call firefighters resigned at a public meeting in March, citing a breakdown in communication with the city council.
Earlier today, Fire Chief Robert Vogel gave two weeks’ notice for his resignation.
City Council voted Monday to appoint retired Bellevue Fire Chief Mark Jordan. During this meeting, the volunteers also agreed to resume their duties.
Fullerton served as acting fire chief of Charlotte prior to Vogel’s appointment, records show. He also served as deputy chief, according to news reports and a city website.
