Manatee sheriff’s deputy, Army reserve charged with stalking his ex-girlfriend
A Manatee County Sheriff’s Office deputy and Army reserve has been charged with stalking his ex-girlfriend, the agency announced Friday afternoon.
William Fickey, 27, was arrested in Bradenton on Friday morning, a news release stated. Following his arrest, Fickey was fired.
On Monday, Fickey’s ex-girlfriend’s mother reported to the sheriff’s office Professional Standards department that Fickey was stalking her daughter. An internal affairs investigation has since found that Fickey continued to reach out to her various ways and threatened her.
“Fickey did not respect the wishes of this victim, he ignored her numerous requests to leave her alone, and as a result, he willingly broke the law,” Sheriff Rick Wells said in a provided statement. “His actions are appalling, and his behavior is not expectable conduct for an employee of the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.”
Fickey has been with the shreiff’s office since January 2020. Just before his deployment as an active U.S. Army Reserve, Fickey had been working as a courthouse bailiff.
Fickey began dating the woman in March 2019, but she ended the relationship in October when it became “unhealthy,” she and her family told internal affairs investigators.
The sheriff’s office internal affairs investigation and active criminal investigation remain ongoing, and the sheriff’s office didn’t reveal other details.
