NORTH PORT, Fla. — A Florida deputy has been arrested after he continually pursued, harassed, and threatened a woman over the course of several years, according to the police department.
North Port police executed an arrest warrant for aggravated stalking for David Motz, 31, a deputy with the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office.
Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell says the arrest stemmed from a complaint by a woman who had a previous relationship with Motz. Police added that Motz's actions occurred "over the course of years."
The woman provided police with numerous emails, call logs, and voicemails which confirmed that Motz continues to call, show up at her work, and follow her to different locations even after she repeatedly asked him to stop, according to police reports. Police say he often did this while on duty, in uniform in his marked patrol car.
Officers say the woman was in "constant fear" after Motz repeatedly dropped off unwanted gifts and deposited money into her account, which she returned each time.
In one 2019 incident, police say Motz pointed his department-issued Taser at her and threatened to discharge it. At a separate time, he told the woman if she reported him, she would "end up like Denise Amber Lee," which she took to mean that he would kidnap, rape, and murder her, according to the report.
“As law enforcement officers we should always rise above any standards set. That makes it even more disturbing when an officer of the law, who is put in a position of public trust, abuses it," North Port Police Chief Todd Garrison said.
The sheriff's office says Motz has been placed on administrative leave as the investigation continues. He has been booked into the Charlotte County jail where he will be held without bond until his first court appearance Thursday morning.
"It is a sad day as another law enforcement officer has tarnished our badge and has broken that sacred trust, we work so hard to build. We are tasked with enforcing the laws and protecting our communities. This does not put us above it," Sheriff Prummell said.
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