Detroit deputy fire commissioner Fred Wheeler has been removed from office following a physical altercation with WJBK reporter Charlie LeDuff on Tuesday.

Working on a story about filthy conditions at a number of Detroit fire houses, LeDuff approached Wheeler on the street and things instantly went south.

“You better get the fuck away from me,” Wheeler told LeDuff once he saw him.  When LeDuff stepped closer to ask a question, Wheeler slapped the microphone out of his hand.

Here’s the video…

Detroit mayor Dave Bing, who LeDuff continually addressed by name in his report, issued a statement today, announcing that Wheeler had been “unappointed.”

“My administration has investigated the incident between Deputy Fire Commissioner Fred Wheeler and Fox2 reporter Charlie LeDuff,” Bing said in his statement. “We have a code of conduct for our appointees and we determined the Deputy Fire Commissioner violated that code in this unfortunate incident.”

In a follow-up report on Wednesday, LeDuff recited from the fire department’s code of conduct…

[WJBK]