Police Cover up Brighton Firefighter Charged with Felony Spousal Abuse | Free Talk Live

Police Cover up Brighton Firefighter Charged with Felony Spousal Abuse | Free Talk Live

Justin JosephFOX31 Denver

11:19 p.m. MDT, May 25, 2011

BRIGHTON, Colo. -- When the Boulder district attorney filed felony charges against a Brighton firefighter last week, two things stood out. It stood out that the charges were filed by an independent prosecutor, and that the charges were filed nearly a month after the violent assault.

When Randall Cleveland was finally arrested he was charged with aggravated assault, stalking, child abuse and two other felonies.

“He's an abuser and he shouldn't be a firefighter. He's not the person everybody makes him out to be,” says a woman who fears Randall Cleveland. FOX31 Denver is not identifying her because she’s afraid. “He's the most horrible person I've ever met.”

She’s telling her friend’s story because her friend cannot. She’s in-hiding. Randy Cleveland first married her friend in 2006. The affidavit used for his arrest says the abuse started almost immediately.

“There were physical marks. There were verbal threats,” she said.

In court documents, Cleveland`s wife claims he pushed her down the stairs, hit her with a hammer and even stomped on her with his firefighter boot. She claims he hurt their children, too.

But she says the only thing worse than the suspected abuse was the suspected cover up.