An Osceola County Sheriff's deputy is off the job after just a couple months after the Sheriff's Office said it received reports that he had been abusive towards his spouse.
On Thursday -- John Macerelli III's 38th birthday, he was arrested and charged with domestic battery by strangulation.
Per a Sheriff's Office report, OCSO received a report Thursday Macerelli had been abusive towards his spouse. The Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division immediately began an investigation, and detectives gathered enough evidence to obtain an arrest warrant.
"The incident happened while he was off-duty and there is no prior employee misconduct involving Deputy Macerelli with the agency," a Sheriff's Office release said Friday, which also noted, "This crime came as a complete shock to the Sheriff’s Office."
Court documents show Macerelli faced a judge Friday afternoon, and was released from jail on $1,000 bond, with conditions he have no contact with the victim, maintain a separate residence for the time being and surrender all firearms. Those documents did not include an arrest affidavit with detail of the incident.
"Deputy Macerelli was a newer employee and was still working on a probationary status, so he was terminated immediately after the warrant was executed for his arrest," Sheriff Marcos Lopez said in a press release Friday. "I have zero tolerance for domestic violence and zero tolerance for law enforcement violating the same laws they are sworn to uphold.
"This case serves as an important reminder that no one is above the law. The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office will continue in our mission to protect the community by holding people accountable for their actions; no matter who they are or what they do for a living."
