Bucks County fire chief charged with assault of infant daughter

🚨Falls Fire Company #1 Chief Brian Salt's daughter would not stop crying

🚨Salt later admitted he "intentionally let her drop to the ground"

🚨The chief has been suspended indefinitely

FALLS TOWNSHIP, Pa — The fire chief of a Bucks County fire company intentionally dropped his infant daughter when she would not stop crying, according to police.

The three-month-old girl was taken to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia from its King of Prussia facilty on March 12 with a fractured skull caused by "substantial force," according to the affidavit in the case. Her lower leg was bruised and there was blood in her eye.

The child's parents, Falls Fire Company #1 Chief Brian Salt and his wife Rebecca, told police the infant was left in Brian's care the morning of March 11 and did not have any medical issues. When Brian could not stop the child from crying he said he went to his in-laws who live nearby, according to the affidavit. There was a bump on the infant's head found by doctors that could neither parent could explain.

'Fussy and unconsolable'

During a follow up interview on Thursday Brian told detectives that his daughter fell asleep on him that morning. The girl was very startled when she woke up and became "fussy and unconsolable" when Brian tried to feed her.

After continuing to cry on her swing Brian said he took her off and "intentionally let her fall to the ground," according to the affidavit. Brian told the detective he "simply lost control over her uncontrolled crying" and knew that she was injured in the head. She was diagnosed with a fractured skull, according to the complaint.

The chief was charged with endangering the welfare of a child, aggravated assault on a child less than 13 years old, and simple assault. He is being held at the Bucks County Jail.

Salt has been suspended indefinitely because of the charges, according to a post on the Falls Township Fire Company #1 Facebook page.

"During this challenging time, our thoughts and prayers are with the Salt family.
We understand the impact this situation has on our community, and we are committed to ensuring transparency as we move forward," the department wrote.

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