ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – An Orange County Sheriff’s Office deputy is on leave without pay after he was arrested, accused of hurting his ex-girlfriend during a fight, according to a news release.
Deputy Marcus Ghent, 28, was arrested Wednesday night by detectives with the sheriff’s office, the release reads.
Investigators said his ex-girlfriend went to his home Tuesday to confront the deputy about him possibly cheating on her during their relationship. The woman got into Ghent’s car and the deputy asked her to leave, but she refused, according to the release.
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After that, Ghent drove the woman to a vacant parking lot and tried to forcibly remove the woman from the vehicle, grabbing her by the hair and hitting her head against the frame of the car in the process, records show.
Detectives said the woman fought back and the pair struggled. Eventually, an SUV pulled into the lot and the driver asked if there was any problem, according to investigators, prompting Ghent to drive the woman back to her car.
The woman eventually returned home but discovered Ghent had followed her, records show, and the pair continued to argue. Investigators said as the pair shouted at each other, the ex-girlfriend called the woman who had informed her of Ghent’s infidelity, detectives said. During the fight, the woman told investigators that Ghent took her phone and ran off, according to the arrest report.
The woman said she then went inside her home, later finding the phone on her porch with all of her call logs and text conversations related to Ghent deleted, records show.
The woman said she went to the hospital Wednesday to get checked out, the report said. Detectives who spoke with her said she had visible scrapes and injuries.
Investigators said they spoke with the woman who was on the phone during a portion of the fight and that she corroborated some of the ex-girlfriend’s story.
Detectives said they attempted to speak with Ghent about the incident but he requested an attorney. He faces a charge of battery dating violence.
According to the sheriff’s office, Ghent was hired in June 2020 and worked in the Uniform Patrol Division.
“These are very serious criminal allegations. As law enforcement officers, we are committed to fighting the scourge of domestic violence in our community. At the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, we hold our deputies to the highest ethical standards whether they are on duty or off duty,” Sheriff John Mina said in a statement. “I have a zero tolerance policy toward domestic violence; these allegations will be thoroughly investigated and the results of that investigation will be made public.”
The sheriff’s office said there will be an internal investigation at the completion of the criminal case.
Harbor House of Central Florida said anyone living in fear of domestic violence can call or text an advocate at 407-886-2856.