Troy city manager Brian Kischnick fired after domestic violence arrest

TROY, Mich. (WJBK) - Troy City Manager Brian Kischnick was arrested then arraigned over the weekend for allegedly assaulting a woman. The Troy City Council held an emergency meeting on Sunday to figure out how to best handle the sensitive situation, and voted unanimously to fire him.

Police say Kischnick and the woman got into a verbal fight and then a physical one on a sidewalk in Clawson after a night out on Friday. Witnesses described seeing Kicshnick tackle the woman to the ground, and then push her back down when she tried to get up.

Residents who attended Sunday's meeting say they don't want this associated with their city. 

This isn't the first time Kischnick, who's been city manager for the last five years, has been under fire. Back in 2016 he was investigated after failing to file the appropiate paperwork following an accident in a city car. There's also been some concerns over his car stipend, and other food and phone expenses.

In a handwritten letter to the Council that was shared on Sunday, Kiscnick apologized for his actions saying, "I am extremely sorry and remorseful for the events and the position in which I have put you in."

Kischnick went on to say, "I never hit her, abused her, threw her to the ground or harmed her. I was only trying to calm her down."

A judge however will have the final say. He's facing a domestic assault and battery charge.

"This shows that the people who commit these crimes, if they're allowed to get away with it apparently, that it can escalate into full-on violent, criminal behavior. This is why he should have been fired before, and, this has to stop," says resident Kim Moon. "The council members and mayor who voted to keep him here should be held accountable, too. They shouldn't keep their jobs."

Kischnick did plead not guilty to the charge, and has been released on a $5,000 bond. 

We're told the Director of Economic and Community Development is now acting as the City Manager.