Off-duty St. Pete Beach district fire chief arrested after assaulting bicyclist, deputies say
REDINGTON SHORES, Fla. - An off-duty district fire chief was suspended without pay after being arrested on Thursday afternoon, according to officials.
The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office says 55-year-old Thomas McClave was driving his own 2017 Chevrolet pickup truck while behind a man who was riding his bicycle.
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Officials say the 58-year-old bicyclist was in the shared bicycle/vehicle travel lane, southbound on Gulf Boulevard near 175th Avenue in Redington Shores.
According to the sheriff's office, McClave pulled alongside the bicyclist while yelling for him to get out of the road. After briefly yelling back and forth at each other, deputies say the 58-year-old rode his bicycle onto the raised median of Gulf Boulevard.
Courtesy: Pinellas County Sheriff's Office
McClave followed the man with his truck, intentionally driving it onto the raised median and almost hitting the bicyclist, who had to swerve out of the way, according to PCSO.
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Deputies say McClave got out of his truck and shoved the man in the chest twice. McClave also knocked a cellphone out of the man's hands while he was trying to record the incident, according to PCSO.
Authorities say McClave has been employed with the St. Pete Beach Fire Department as a district fire chief since November 2023.
Courtesy: St. Pete Beach Fire Department
McClave was arrested around 5:15 p.m. on Thursday and charged with one count of aggravated assault with a motor vehicle and one count of simple battery and taken to the Pinellas County Jail, according to the sheriff's office.
St. Pete Fire Rescue released a statement:
The City of St. Pete Beach has been notified of the arrest of District Fire Chief Thomas McClave on the evening of May 23rd, 2024. Chief McClave has been employed by the City since November 15th, 2023. Pursuant with the City’s Personnel Rules and Regulations, Chief McClave has been suspended without pay pending an investigation and final determination of possible disciplinary action. All inquiries regarding the
charges Chief McClave is facing should be directed to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. It should be noted that the accused actions of Chief McClave do not represent the men and women of the St. Pete Beach Fire Department who provide exceptional fire and EMS services to the residents and visitors of Pinellas County.
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