The deputy has been fired, according to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.

PASCO COUNTY – A Pasco sheriff’s deputy who worked as a school resource officer was charged Wednesday (Sept. 7) with stalking a former girlfriend, according to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.

Russell Knieriem, 45, began working with the Pasco Sheriff’s Office on March 15, 1999. He has been working as a school resource officer at Fivay High School since Dec. 1, 2014. He was fired Wednesday (Sept. 7), a sheriff’s spokeswoman said.

Deputies were contacted by a former girlfriend of Knieriem who said the two had lived together for about six years but had broken up in May. Since the woman moved out, Knieriem had harrassed her with several phone calls and numerous text messages despite being told “numerous times” not to contact her and having his number blocked. Deputies said that, once the woman blocked Knieriem’s number, he continued to contact her through emails, “continuously harassing her over the last few days.” The woman showed deputies the emails to back up her statements.

The woman also told deputies that she believed Knieriem had been driving by her home several times causing her to be fearful. An investigating deputy said that, when he left the woman’s house after interviewing her, he saw Knieriem drive by in his work vehicle. After he left, the deputy said Knieriem sent the woman more text messages asking if he was getting into trouble.

After Knieriem was arrested, the deputy said he “admitted to continuously harassing, calling, texting, emailing and driving by” the woman’s residence. The deputy said Knieriem was arrested and charged with “willfully, maliciously and repeatedly following, harassing and cyberstalking.”

For information about the Pasco County sheriff, go to pascosheriff.com.

Pasco Sheriff | Deputy Arrested | School Resource Officer Arrested | Fivay High School | TB Reporter

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