MORE LEGAL TROUBLE FOR FORMER PLATTE CITY PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR
The now-former public works director for the City of Platte City once again is in trouble with the law.
Bradford S. Wallace, age 41, of Platte County, was arrested after a nearly four hour armed barricade situation in the 1600 block of Hwy. 371 near Tracy.
At about 9:50 a.m. Monday morning, the Platte County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a domestic disturbance with an armed barricaded subject at that location. The stand-off lasted until approximately 1:40 p.m.
Authorities say during the barricade, a single gunshot was heard coming from inside the residence.
Wallace was taken into custody without injury and was transported to an area hospital for evaluation.
A 38-year-old female was evaluated by EMS on the scene and then interviewed by detectives, authorities said.
Major Erik Holland told The Landmark after initially being taken to the hospital for evaluation, Wallace later was booked into the Platte County Jail. He later was taken to the hospital a second time, and that’s his location as of Monday night about 9 p.m.
Holland said the case is being forwarded to the Platte County Prosecutor’s Office for review.
Holland said the sheriff’s office received assistance at the barricade scene from the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Platte City Police Department.
Jail records indicate Wallace is being held on a 24-hour investigate hold into allegations of unlawful use of a weapon.
In August, Wallace pled guilty to a charge of misdemeanor assault in the fourth degree in connection to an assault that occurred inside a Platte City restaurant in May.
Wallace avoided jail time in that case, receiving a suspended imposition of a jail sentence and instead was placed on two years of supervised probation. Wallace was also ordered to complete drug and/or alcohol treatment as directed, anger control treatment within a year, have no contact with the victim, submit to random urinalysis testing, and pay restitution in the amount of $970.20.
He was serving as public works director for the City of Platte City at the time of that assault, and the city continued to employ Wallace in that position after his sentencing.
Wallace eventually resigned his position in mid-November, but the resignation, according to an account distributed to the media by Marji Gehr, city administrator, had nothing to do with his guilt in the assault case.
Gehr in mid-November told The Landmark that “Brad requested and the city fully supported his use of accrued leave time” so that he could spend time with a relative who had “received a terminal (medical) diagnosis in mid-October.”
When that leave time was exhausted, Wallace submitted his resignation and did not return to work, according to Gehr.
According to court documents viewed by The Landmark, the victim in the May assault told authorities that he was eating dinner with some friends at a restaurant when he was attacked by Wallace. The victim told police Wallace struck him in the face, causing a large laceration on the right side of his forehead.
According to the probable cause statement, the victim said the laceration required eight stitches.
Deputy Matthew Knabe wrote in the probable cause statement that “in several of the photos prior to medical treatment, the approximate one inch gash appeared to expose the victim’s skull.”
Video footage was provided by the restaurant, according to court documents.
“The video showed the victim, Brad, and four witnesses at the same table eating. Brad gets up from his chair and punches the victim in the face with a closed fist. The victim stumbles backward and Brad follows him, continuously punching him in the face three more times,” the sheriff’s deputy wrote in the probable cause statement.
The deputy wrote that he attempted to identify several of the witnesses at the table. “When I spoke with one of the witnesses, she stated she did not want to provide anything other than her address for the report. A second witness provided a statement,” according to the deputy.
According to court documents, the statement by the witness alleged the following:
“During dinner (the victim) made a comment to Brad about the salsa being weak. Brad grabbed a salt shaker (thick glass) from the table and struck (the victim) several times.”
According to court documents, Wallace declined to provide a statement to authorities.
“I believe due to the severity of the injuries and nature of the incident he is a risk to the public,” the sheriff’s deputy wrote in the probable cause statement seeking the charge.