Fired fire chief earns case dismissal

DOLAN SPRINGS – Charges are dismissed in the criminal case against the former chief of a Dolan Springs-based fire district who was arrested last month after an argument with his wife and a fight with her teenage son. Deputy Mohave County Attorney Phillip Delgado said alleged victims did not wish Timothy Bonnee to be prosecuted.

Charges against Bonnee were formally dismissed during a May 19 hearing in Kingman Justice Court. “We believe it’s in the best interest of justice not to pursue the case,” Delgado said a few days after dismissing charges.

Incident reports reveal two Mohave County Sheriff’s deputies and a sergeant responded after 8:00 p.m. on April 23 to a north Kingman home where Bonnee resided with his wife and her 17-year-old son. They learned that an argument evolved after the teen accused Bonnee of cheating on his mother.

Investigative narratives indicate that Bonnee ordered the teen to exit the residence as his girlfriend was waiting outside in a vehicle. The reports show that the wife stepped in front of the front door as Bonnee and the boy attempted to exit.

The males engaged in some shoving before Bonnee allegedly punched the boy in the face. Bonnee said they both threw punches, but the teen said he just covered his head and did not strike Bonnee.

The officers observed no injuries on Bonnee but the boy suffered facial bruising, one of his eyes was swollen shut and he complained of a headache and a bloody nose. Bonnee was arrested for disorderly conduct and two counts of domestic violence.

The Lake Mohave Ranchos Fire District (LMRFD) governing board placed Bonnee on administrative leave and promoted firefighter/paramedic Steve Winn as acting Fire Chief the day after the Kingman fight. The Board met again on May 8 and voted 4-1 to end Bonnee’s employment.

Official minutes of the meeting show that Board member Deb Cass made the termination motion based on her view that information about the incident was inconsistent and because of Bonnee’s alleged “misrepresentations and omissions” during the hiring process.

The minutes reflect that the Board meeting was recessed so Bonnee could gather his personal effects and leave. The Board reconvened the meeting and promoted Winn to Interim Fire Chief.