Battalion chief faces assault count

Dispute allegedly arose over boots at a uniform store

WEST HAVEN — A New Haven Fire Department battalion chief has been arrested in connection with an alleged assault of a Horwitz Uniform employee over a pair of boots, police said.

Herschel Wadley, 53, of New Haven, is charged with thirddegree assault and disorderly conduct. Wadley turned himself in to West Haven police Thursday.

The arrest stems from an incident at around 1:30 p.m. Oct. 19 at Horwitz Uniforms on Morgan Lane.

Members of the New Haven

Fire Department have a voucher/ clothing allotment from the city of New Haven with Horwitz Uniforms.

The worker told police that Wadley wanted to buy a pair of boots that were not on the approved vendor’s list. Wadley became increasingly upset when the worker refused to add the $125 boots to the list, according to the arrest warrant affidavit.

The warrant affidavit said Wadley wanted her to “fudge” the purchase order “to make it look like he purchased them through the City of New Haven.” After she refused, Wadley became more vocal and asked, “why are you so hard on me?” according to the warrant affidavit.

“Wadley became very upset and began berating (the worker),” the warrant affidavit said. “Wadley raised his voice and became very vocal after being denied the boots and at one point told the worker he would steal the boots.”

To defuse the situation, the

worker asked Wadley to fill out the rest of his order. As the worker was putting together Wadley’s order for white shirts, work pants and a mock turtleneck, he again brought up the boots

. He asked her to “look the

other way” so he could get the boots, the warrant said. The worker again said “no”.

“At that point, Wadley pushed (the worker’s) temple area. It was then that Wadley came up from behind and grabbed her by the back of the neck, with his right hand, and clamped down and squeezed her neck and began shaking her neck side to side, saying,

‘I thought we were friends’ and continued squeezing her neck,” the warrant affidavit said.

After the worker raised her voice, Wadley released her from his grip, the warrant affidavit said. A coworker told police she did not witness the alleged assault, but did hear Wadley yelling.

There was no video or

surveillance equipment in the area, police said.

Bob Horwitz, the store owner, later called New Haven Fire Chief John Alston, who placed Wadley on paid administrative leave. Wadley remains on leave with pay and the department has suspended its investigation, Alston said. Wadley also is banned from visiting the store,

police said.

Horwtiz said there have been times in the past that Wadley “had become upset and loud in the store because he could not get something he wanted that was not on the approved vendor’s list.”

Wadley is expected to appear in Superior Court in Milford Dec. 18 to answer the charges.

Wadley