LARGO, Fla. — The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office says one of its detention deputies was arrested after he left a woman with a split lip and significant bruising to her face.
Detectives say on June 14, they learned that Deputy Ryan Mullen, who had worked for the sheriff's office since 2002, and a woman had an argument that escalated into a fight at a home in Largo.
During the fight, Mullen grabbed the woman by her hair and struck her multiple times in the head and face, according to a release from the agency.
Detectives say she was left with a split and swollen lip and significant bruising and swelling around her eye and cheekbone area that was still visible 10 days after the fight.
Mullen denied any knowledge of the woman's injuries, the sheriff's office said.
He was arrested and charged with one count of domestic battery and transported to the Pinellas County Jail.
The investigation is ongoing.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached 24/7 at 1-800-799-7233.