Orlando fire chief arrested over alleged assaults in North Carolina

Orlando Fire Chief Benjamin Barksdale was taken into custody on Tuesday in North Carolina. 

Arrest warrants were issued for the 56-year-old Barksdale by the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department stemming from accusations that he assaulted two people at a restaurant, including punching a woman in the face. 

Barksdale was suspended with pay last week and Deputy Fire Chief Craig Buckley was named as the acting fire chief.

Barksdale replaced Roderick Williams who stepped down in 2019 as the department was at the center of a sexual harassment investigation.

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