Bat-wielding mayor facing road rage charges, according to police

Audio: Mayor, other driver call 911 prior to alleged road rage incident

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By Ed Richter, Staff Writer Updated 10:59 PM Wednesday, December 16, 2009

CARLISLE — For the second time since October, the mayor of Carlisle is facing legal issues.

Mayor Tim Humphries, whose city-owned computer was seized from his Town Hall office Nov. 5 and shipped to the FBI for a forensic analysis to determine if inappropriate materials and photos were stored or viewed, is now accused in a road-rage incident.

Humphries, 41, is accused of stopping his vehicle Dec. 1 in the middle of a Carlisle roadway and approaching another driver he felt was following him too close. Police said Humphries was carrying a baseball bat.

The mayor was issued a summons on Tuesday, Dec. 15 to appear in Franklin Municipal Court at 1 p.m. Friday, Dec. 18 for arraignment on a charge of obstructing official business, a fifth-degree felony, and aggravated menacing, a first-degree misdemeanor. He was also cited for prohibition against parking on highways.

The mayor was traveling west on Ohio 123 over the Corwin Nixon Bridge at about 12:36 a.m. Dec. 1 and felt the driver behind him was following too closely and called 911 on his cell phone, according to Carlisle police chief Tim Boggess. In the call, Humphries identifies himself as the city’s mayor.

In the 911 call, Humphries said he was driving between 8 and 14 mph and the other driver would not go around him.

At the same time, the other driver, Tyler Anspach, 18, of Martz-Paulin Road, called 911 to report an impaired driver ahead of him, Boggess said.

Anspach identifies Humphries as the van’s driver. The 911 operator tells Anspach that Humphries is telling them that he was following too closely.

Boggess said the vehicles continued into Carlisle on Central Avenue, when Humphries allegedly stopped near North Union Road and got out of his vehicle with a baseball bat in his hand and approached Anspach’s vehicle.

By that time, a Carlisle police officer arrived pulling up behind Anspach, Boggess said.

Boggess said the obstructing charge was elevated to a felony offense because the situation became dangerous for the officer as Humphries hampered the officer’s effort and because he brought physical harm to the scene by having the bat in hand.

Humphries said he was unable to comment when contacted early Wednesday afternoon but said he would comment later in the day.

Police said the computer issue remains under investigation.

Humphries was appointed to fill a vacant seat on Carlisle City Council in 2005 and was elected mayor in 2007 after defeating incumbent mayor Jerry Ellender. He also has taken out petitions to run for Warren County Commission in the May 2010 primary election.

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