A Buckhead man has been arrested on felony charges stemming from an incident that occurred on April 16 at a Blue Springs Road address.
Kenneth Mark Bailey was arrested April 24 on a warrant for felony aggravated assault and felony terroristic threats and acts after a week-long investigation conducted by the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office.
A contingent of law enforcement officers, including Sgt. Chase Young, Chief Deputy Jason Welch, Captain Joseph Pritchett, and Sgt. Kenneth Smith took Bailey into custody. According to reports, Deputy Christopher Lash was dispatched to the Blue Springs Road address at around 7 p.m. to assist a Morgan County firefighter who was denied access to a suspected illegal burn by the property owner, later identified as Bailey.
Dispatch then advised Lash that the property owner had attempted to run over the firefighter.
When Lash arrived, he found Bailey and his son talking to Deputy Robert Hughes on their side of a closed gate. Lash reported that a group of approximately six firefighters was in the street.
Bailey told Lash he had a burn permit and felt harassed by the firefighters. Bailey said he left the controlled burn with his son, and when he returned, the firefighters had already arrived aboard a fire engine parked in the driveway.
Bailey said he told a firefighter standing near the gate to leave his property, but the firefighter “got rude with him.”
One of the firefighters told Lash that Bailey became upset, put his vehicle in reverse, and accelerated purposely “at him at a high rate of speed.” The firefighter said he had to leap onto a large pile of gravel to avoid being hit.
Another firefighter confirmed the first account, and eventually Lash collected four witness statements.
Firefighters also said Bailey made several threats to them while they were on the scene.
The firefighter told Lash he wanted to press charges against Bailey.
Bailey’s son told Lash his father wasn’t trying to hit the firefighter with his car and that the firefighter was in a safe place when Bailey pulled up.
A code enforcement officer arrived and said he had just dealt with the Baileys concerning a fire two weeks prior. Howard said Bailey had a valid permit, but for organic materials only.
Firefighters said they observed metal components in the fire, which violates the permit.