Lorain Assistant Fire Chief on administrative leave after neighbor dispute

LORAIN — A Lorain assistant fire chief is on administrative leave after being accused of assaulting his neighbor and one of the neighbor's dogs in a dispute. Matt Homolya was arrested Wednesday by Lorain County Sheriff's Office and charged with a single count of assault, a first-degree misdemeanor, stemming from an incident with his neighbor. Mayor Jack Bradley confirmed Homolya was on paid administrative leave Monday, pending an internal investigation and the city receiving further information from the Sheriff's Office. Deputies were called to the 8700 block of Gore Orphanage Road in Brownhelm Township on March 9 following a complaint from a man who said Homolya assaulted him in his driveway. The 50-year-old man told deputies he received text messages and a phone call around 9:30 a.m. alleging his two German shepherds attacked Homolya's dog after it wandered into the man's yard. Homolya threatened to kill the man and his dogs, according to the report. Around 9:40 a.m., Homolya came to the man's house and shoved the man into his car, grabbed him by the neck and upper chest and slammed him onto the driveway, according to a Sheriff's Office report. The incident was captured on the man's security cameras and when the he reviewed it, he told deputies Homolya had struck one of his dogs with a hatchet. Following the incident, a change.org petition was posted across social media platforms calling for Homolya's termination. As of Tuesday morning, it had more than 1,200 signatures. Bradley said the petition will not be a factor in any decision the city makes, as there is a due process the city must follow. "We don't hang people by petition," he said. Fire Chief Chris Radman said he has seen the video and does not condone Homolya's actions. He said Homolya will be given his due process, something Lorain Professional Firefighters Local 267 Union President Jon Stephanchick assured would be afforded to Homolya as a member of the union. Homolya did not return a request for comment Monday evening. He is scheduled to appear in Vermilion Municipal Court on March 22, according to court records, and was ordered to have no contact with the neighbor. Homolya previously served as fire chief for about a year and a half, stepping down in spring 2019 for Radman to take the position. Contact Carissa Woytach at (440) 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com.