Key West code inspector fired for domestic-violence arrest

A rookie Key West Code Compliance inspector was fired Wednesday, the day after police said he beat his live-in girlfriend during an argument that began with him showing up unannounced at her home fresh from a weekend visit with his wife and kids.

Erik Manuel Taull, 31, has his home address protected under state law since he is a graduate of a law enforcement academy, according to the arrest report.

Taull was class captain of his corrections academy graduation class in December 2013. Taull does not work for the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, spokeswoman Becky Herrin said.

After learning of the arrest, city officials made quick work of firing Taull, hired June 27 at an annual salary of $38,226.

“Mr. Taull was still under his six-month probation period, required with all new hires, and was dismissed this morning,” said Samantha Farist, Key West’s human resources director.

Jim Young, Key West’s Code Compliance director and a former police officer, directed all questions about Taull to the HR department.

Taull is accused of grabbing his girlfriend, 40, around her neck and not letting go until she brandished a small kitchen knife in her defense, police said.

He was booked for misdemeanor battery — because deputies determined the woman had not had her breathing obstructed, which always raises a domestic case to a felony — and felony obstruction of justice for allegedly running off with her cell phone.

Taull took off in his 2016 Honda Accord but by 8 p.m. Tuesday he was in jail. By 10:30 p.m. he had posted $3,000 bond and was released.

The incident started, the girlfriend told police, after Taull showed up unannounced after midnight at the apartment they had shared for about five weeks despite the fact she told him not to because she was tired of the “back and forth” he was doing with his wife and her.

Taull had left town for the weekend to celebrate his child’s birthday with his wife, although have been separated for about five weeks, police reported.

The address of where the alleged battery took place just after midnight Tuesday — the apartment he shared with his girlfriend — was also blacked out in the report.

This story was originally published August 10, 2016 at 6:48 PM with the headline "Key West code inspector fired for domestic-violence arrest."