LECANTO, FLA. — A Citrus County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) deputy was fired on Thursday after he was arrested for battering a Target store employee, officials said.
Deputy Troy Taylor had been put on administrative leave after the Aug. 14 incident at the store in Lecanto, which led the Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney's Office to issue a warrant for his arrest.
At about 7 p.m., Taylor, while on duty, entered the Target store to inform employees of suspicious activity in the area.
When he approached the customer service counter, Taylor began speaking with the victim, who was wearing a collar-style necklace with a metal loop.
When the victim asked whether he was there to investigate an accident in the parking lot, Taylor made several inappropriate sexual comments, said Citrus Sheriff David Vincent.
Taylor then reached for the loop on the victim's necklace and used his finger to pull the victim toward him, Vincent noted.
After releasing the victim, Taylor continued making inappropriate comments and asked the victim for her age.
Witnesses said the victim appeared visibly uncomfortable and quickly walked away as Taylor briefly followed her beyond the counter before leaving the store.
At approximately 10 p.m., the CCSO was contacted requesting to file a complaint with an on-duty supervisor.
On Aug. 15, video evidence was obtained from the incident, which supported the statements provided by both the victim and witnesses, officials said.
During the incident, Taylor failed to activate his body-worn camera, which is a direct violation of agency policy, Vincent said.
"It's hard to properly convey my level of disappointment in Deputy Taylor. His actions violate public trust in law enforcement and do not represent the great work or the men and women here at the Citrus County Sheriff's Office," said Vincent. "I have zero tolerance for those who decide to tarnish the reputation of the Sheriff's Office and the profession I care deeply about."
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