The Troy city manager is fired after an emergency council meeting amid domestic assault allegations.
Former Troy City Manager, Brian Kischnick was arrested Friday night in Clawson and he’s been charged with domestic assault.
On Friday night, after dinner an Uber ride with a woman, neighbors said they saw him tackle the woman to the ground. Clawson police responded and took Kischnick into custody.
Sunday, the city council met to determine his fate with the city.
Councilors voted unanimously to terminate Kischnick after they held a closed door session.
Many Troy residents attended to see if the city would take action.
"I would like to hold them to higher level of standard of ethics, accountability if this is my city, I am the person who voted them into those seats and I'm going to hold them accountable,” said longtime Troy resident, Michelle Pallas.
Pallas and other residents in attendance were angry about the accusations, along with a previous disciplinary action the city took against Kischnick and has kept sealed since 2016.
"We need to address the fact that he had this relationship with the woman who worked under him. I mean come on, let's not pretend this isn't going on,” said Pallas.
Many residents tell 7 Action News, the woman is Kischnick’s assistant, but city leaders will not confirm her identity.
Kischnick was not present but he did submit a handwritten letter to the council where he proclaimed his innocence.
7 Action News transcribed the letter:
To Troy City Council: March 11, 2018
As you are aware, on the night of March 9, 2018 at approximately 9:30/10:00 p.m. I was arrested by the Clawson Police resulting from an altercation with a friend.
I want to make it clear that this letter is in no way intended to be a statement of influence. To the contrary. I am extremely sorry and remorseful for the events and the position in which I have put you as individuals and council members the employer of me.
The significant events should be known and communicated. After a small group ate dinner, as a matter of practice, we utilized an Uber to take us back to our destination.
Midway home, my friend became angry so I asked the Uber driver to stop and let me out of the van to remove me from the situation and avoid conflict. She got out of the Uber about 1-2 blocks west and started walked toward me and was still confrontational as the situation escalated, I attempted to calm her down, diffused the situation, defend myself and prevent harm to her and I.
As we continued toward our destination, I was holding her to protect us and get there safely. We fell to the ground at least two times.
The fact is I never hit her, abused her, threw her to the groung or harmed her. I was only trying to calm her down and make sure she arrived home safely.
Her own verbal comments to the Clawson PD at the scene were: “She was not hurt, I did not hurt her and I would never hurt her.” She continued to enforce these statements and verbalized she would not press charges as it was a situation between us where she was not hurt in any way.
There is a complete misunderstanding of the events by others who were neither involved or witnessed the series of events that took place before we arrived near our destination.
It is without question that I would neither hurt a female, never have nor would I cause harm to her. I am confident she will corroborate the facts I have presented and the comments at the scene that she was not harmed in any way.
Fortunately, there was no physical harm to either of us.
Sincerely,
Brian M. Kischnick
The Troy City Council also voted to appoint Mark Miller, the Director of Economic Community Development, in as interim city manager.
