Off-duty St Pete fire chief arrested after allegedly assaulting cyclist

Lina PortmanMay 25, 2024

1 1 minute read

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WWSB) – An off-duty St. Pete Beach fire chief was arrested for allegedly assaulting a bicyclist after running him off the road, according to Pinellas County deputies.

Thomas McClave, 55, was driving behind a 58-year-old cyclist in his pickup truck on the shared bicycle and vehicle lane Thursday afternoon on Gulf Boulevard.

According to documents, deputies say McClave pulled alongside the cyclist and yelled at him to get off the road. The cyclist rode his bicycle in the central reservation and McClave allegedly followed him and almost. He then got out of his truck and shoved the cyclist twice, knocking his cell phone out of his hand as he attempted to record the altercation.

Hicks was not injured, according to deputies who arrested McClave just after 5 p.m.

The fire chief was charged with one count of aggravated assault with a motor vehicle and one count of simple battery. He is currently incarcerated in the Pinellas County Jail on $1,000 bond, according to sheriff's office records.

McClave has been suspended without pay pending an investigation.

He was hired as the district's fire chief by the St. Pete Beach Fire Department in November. He was also a firefighter previously with the Indian Hills Fire Department.