Bucks Fire Chief 'Intentionally' Dropped Baby, Fracturing Skull: PD

FALLS TOWNSHIP, PA —The fire chief for the Falls Township Fire Company, has been charged with child endangerment after police allege that he "lost control" over his baby's constant crying and intentionally dropped his infant daughter on her head earlier this month, fracturing her skull.

Brian Salt, 36, was charged and arraigned Thursday on a charge of felony child endangerment, and ungraded charge of aggravated assault on a person under age 13, and a misdemeanor simple assault. He is incarcerated in Bucks County Corrections Center in lieu of $500,000 bail, the Falls Township Police Department said.

Salt has been suspended indefinitely as fire chief due to the charges.

"We are aware of the criminal charges involving Fire Chief Brian Salt. As a result, Chief Salt has been suspended indefinitely pending the outcome of the legal proceedings. During this challenging time, our thoughts and prayers are with the Salt family. We understand the impact this situation has on our community, and we are committed to ensuring transparency as we move forward. The safety and well-being of our community remain our top priority, and we will continue to support our firefighters and their families through this challenging time," a statement by the officers and members of the Falls Township Fire Company said.

Salt is also a paid firefighter/EMT for Northampton Township. He's now on administrative leave, Action News 6 reported.

In a criminal complaint obtained by Patch, Falls Township Police began an investigation into Salt after responding to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia on March 12 for a report of a 3-month-old infant with a skull fracture.

Doctors told police that substantial force caused the fracture, and bruising was found on the infant’s lower right leg and blood in her eye, the criminal complaint states.

Police allege the child’s parents told them that Salt’s wife had left for work around 7:30 a.m. on March 11 and she did not see anything unusual, including injuries before leaving the baby in Salt's care, the complaint reads.

According to the complaint, the couple said the daughter is a “fussy” baby who had colic.

Salt initially told police when he could not console the baby after his wife left, he brought her to his in-laws who live nearby, the complaint said. While he was there, he told police he saw a large, unexplained bump on the back of the baby’s head.

He called the pediatrician who told him to take the child to CHOP, the affidavit said.

During an interview with the couple, Salt allegedly told police that while he was caring for his daughter on March 11 she became fussy and inconsolable after he attempted to feed her, the complaint said.

He placed the infant in a swing, but she could not stop crying. When he pulled her out of the swing, he allegedly told police he “lost” her.

When asked to clarify, Salt stated he intentionally let her fall to the ground striking her head, the complaint states.

“He advised that he simply lost control over her uncontrolled crying,” according to the criminal complaint.

Salt told police that he immediately knew the infant injured her head and he brought his daughter to his in-laws and told them he just discovered the injury and didn’t know how it happened, the complaint said.