Felony charges were filed this week against a Seminole man accused of assaulting a firefighter as he battled a rural grass fire last fall.

Homer Dewayne Trout, Jr., 45 has been charged with assault and battery on a firefighter, a felony punishable by up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $5,000, or both. The charges, stemming from an October 2020 incident, were filed April 14 by the Seminole County District Attorney’s Office.

According to an affidavit, Mitchell Williams, Assistant Chief of the Strother Fire Department, was working a grass fire in rural Seminole County when he was allegedly assaulted by Trout.

Williams told Deputy Robert Hill that the pump on his fire truck had failed and he was in the process of getting it restarted and shuffling his crew around when Trout began yelling “get over here now” at him.

Williams said as he got back on the skid to get the pump running again, Trout suddenly appeared next to and began cursing at him. Trout then allegedly shoved Williams off the truck. Williams commanded Trout to get off the truck, but Trout ignored him and grabbed the fire hose.

According to the affidavit, Williams asked Trout several times to turn loose of the hose, but his requests were ignored. Williams said as he reached for the hose, Trout struck him approximately three times on his face and the side of his head. Williams said he fell to the ground dazed and watched Trout drag the hose across the fire line and out of sight.

Court records indicate Trout made his initial appearance in court on Wednesday and is scheduled to reappear for a status conference on May 20.