DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — A fire lieutenant was arrested and charged with threatening to kill his girlfriend last week.
News-Journal reported that Lt. Brad Dyess, 41, was arrested after his girlfriend of nearly two years, Cheryle Lomeo, told the police that the couple got into a physical fight about 10:45 p.m. Tuesday at the home they shared.
Lomeo said he grabbed her throat, slammed her into a couch, grabbed a loaded .38-caliber handgun, pointed it at her and threatened to kill her, according to the report. She said he struck her in the head with the gun and fired a round near her head.
Lt. Dyess was arrested on Thursday and charged with aggravated battery, aggravated assault, shooting within a dwelling and false imprisonment, according to the report. He was released from jail at 2 a.m. on Saturday on $17,500 bail, a booking officer said.
Former Daytona Beach Fire Department Chief Jim Bland said Dyess was a “terrific firefighter,” according to the report. “I’d see him once every three days before I was chief, and then it was less,” Bland said. “He lived in Orlando, so there weren’t a lot of opportunities to get to know him. He was a show-up-for-work guy.”
Daytona Beach fire spokesman Lt. Larry Stoney said that the fire department is aware of the arrest and ongoing investigation, but “will have no further comment concerning this incident during the investigation,” according to the report.
The report said Dyess is a member of the Warlock Motorcycle Club and was involved in a deadly shootout in 2012.