A Pennsylvania fire chief, Brian Salt, has reportedly admitted to dropping his three-month-old daughter, causing her skull to become fractured. He has since been indefinitely suspended and was charged with endangering the welfare of a child and aggravated assault. A criminal complaint revealed that Salt "intentionally" let his daughter fall to the ground.
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According to the criminal complaint, obtained by PEOPLE, Detective Dennis O'Connell detailed that The Falls Township Police Department responded to a report of an infant having suffered a skull fracture. The infant, Salt's three-month-old daughter, arrived at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia on March 12.
An attending physician revealed to O'Connell that the girl had suffered a "fractured skill which was caused by substantial force." The complaint adds that the baby had blood in one of her eyes as well as bruising on her right leg.
Initially, Brian Salt and his wife, Rebecca, told O'Connell that the girl was left in Brian's care on March 11. However, after the baby couldn't stop crying, he took her to his in-laws. That is where Brian claimed that he noticed an "unexplained bump" on the girl's head. At the time, Brian Salt said that neither he nor his wife knew how the injury was sustained.
"The story was there was no story. Both parents were drawing a blank as far as any type of mechanism or how the injury could have occurred," O'Connell said, as per WPVI.
Admission
However, on March 20, fire chief Brian Salt made an astonishing admission. As per the criminal complaint, Salt said that, on March 11, his daughter became "fussy and unconsolable" as she cried in her swing. That is when Salt pulled her from her swing and "intentionally let her fall to the ground." Her head struck the ground, which resulted in a skull fracture.
Salt then admitted, as per the complaint, to pretending to be surprised by the injury at his inlaws. "In his own words, he just kind of lost control," O'Connell added. "Lost his cool. And in the process of actually picking her up from a swing, he took her out of the swing and then threw her to the ground."
Following this admission, Brian Salt was arrested and charged with endangering the welfare of a child and aggravated assault. As per WPVI, he is currently being held in custody on a 10% of $500,000 bail. The three-month-old baby has since been released from the hospital.
Suspended
Detective O'Connell revealed to NBC10 that Salt also worked as a firefighter and EMT for Northampton Township Fire. "With his knowledge and training with the fire department, working also as a medic, he should clearly know how to deal with any kind of stressful situation," O'Connell told the outlet. "Especially something of this nature when it's involving your own child."
The Falls Township Fire Company issued a
statement, announcing that fire chief Brian Salt was suspended indefinitely. They added that the Salt family was in their "thoughts and prayers.""We understand the impact this situation has on our community, and we are committed to ensuring transparency as we move forward," the statement reads. "The safety and well-being of our community remain our top priority, and we will continue to support our firefighters and their families through this challenging time."
