Former Hillsborough County Commissioner Brian Blair arrested

By Richard Danielson, Elisabeth Parker and Kim Wilmath Times Staff Writers
Posted: Jun 21, 2009 04:18 PM

TAMPA — Former Hillsborough County Commissioner Brian Blair was arrested today on two counts of child abuse, according to jail records and a sheriff's spokesman.

Blair, 52, was arrested shortly after 5 a.m. following an altercation with his two sons, sheriff's Deputy Larry McKinnon said. The arrest took place at Blair's home on North Boulevard in the Forest Hills area of Tampa.

Blair and his wife Toni have been married more than 22 years and have two sons, Brett and Bradley, according to his campaign Web site.

An arrest report said Blair, a former professional wrestler who is 6 feet tall and weighs 235 pounds, pushed his older son Brett, 17, in the chest about 4 a.m.

The teen tried to walk away, but Blair grabbed him and punched him in the face with a closed fist, leaving a red mark and causing swelling, the arrest report said.

Blair then put the 17-year-old in a choke hold, causing him to have trouble breathing, according to the report.

Deputies said Blair then let go of his older son and grabbed his younger son by the throat. He punched the boy on the top of his head, leaving a bump, the arrest report said. In their report, deputies gave the younger son's age as 12, though Blair's campaign Web site said he is 13.

Both sons identified their father as the person who attacked them, deputies said.

Blair is being held without bail, as is standard procedure for inmates facing charges involving domestic violence. He is scheduled to appear Monday before Judge Walter Heinrich.

Blair, who was part of a tag-team wrestling duo known as the Killer Bees, was elected to the District 6 seat on the County Commission in 2004.

Last November, Blair was defeated for re-election by financial planner Kevin Beckner. After the election, Blair sued Beckner, contending that Beckner's campaign attacks on him were so over the top that they amounted to libel.

Beckner's attorneys argue that his tactics were nothing more than typical campaigning. He merely reprinted or summarized statements that had already been made by or about Blair during the political contest, they said.

In addition to wrestling and politics, Blair has run a Gold's Gym franchise, though his booking report indicated that he is currently unemployed.

[Last modified: Jun 21, 2009 05:54 PM]