TOLEDO, OH (WTOL) - Kevin P. Wolever, 32, the son of retired Toledo Fire Chief Mike Wolever, will be arraigned Monday morning at 9 a.m. in connection with a series of attacks against fire stations in Toledo. Wolever is charged with felonious assault and shooting into a habitation.
Wolever is a Toledo fire inspector but was placed on administrative leave last week.
"He had been experiencing some issues of which is part of the investigation that I can't go into," said Toledo Fire Chief Luis Santiago. According to Wolever's Facebook page, he has worked for the department since 2008.
Police began monitoring Wolever early in their investigation into the attacks and say officers saw him walk from his home at 801 1/2 Nevada in East Toledo to nearby Fire Station No. 6 on Starr Avenue just after 10 p.m. Saturday night. Police say Wolever fired one shot through a glass window in the front door of the station. The bullet ricocheted through the building and hit a firefighter in the chin. Authorities say the firefighter was not severely injured.
Police confronted Wolever with weapons drawn.
"Mr. Wolever initially acted like he was trying to reach for something but eventually complied with the officers' command and was taken into custody," said Toledo Police Department Assistant Chief Derrick Diggs.
At the time of his arrest, police say Wolever was wearing a bullet proof vest and had a nine-millimeter gun in his possession, with two full clips and one shell missing.
After Wolever was taken into custody, a search warrant was executed at his home around 2:45 a.m. Sunday. Police confiscated several items, including Wolever's vehicle.
Police recovered a nine-millimeter shell and casing from the driveway of Station 6 and are comparing ballistic evidence found there with evidence taken from other stations.
"We're starting to get some answers on why some things happened the past few days. I can't put closure to that because the investigation continues, but we're starting to get some answers," Santiago said.
Last week there were four separate violent incidents at Toledo fire stations: Station 18 on Lewis, Station 6 on Starr, and Station 9 on South.
This is the second incident for Station 6, the first incident involved shots being fired at the building Wednesday. The same day, gunshots were also fired outside Fire Station No. 9 on South Avenue, and a make-shift bomb was left outside of Station 18 on Lewis Avenue Thursday. Firefighters also discovered a bullet hole in a fire engine at the station.
Retired Fire Chief Mike Wolever did not return a phone call seeking comment.
Click here for background on the incidents.
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Kevin Wolever (Source: Toledo Blade)
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