A jail deputy slaps his child’s mom — and ends up arrested, cops say

A Monroe County sheriff’s deputy who works at the Stock Island jail was arrested last week in Miami Gardens after police said he slapped his ex-girlfriend and threatened to shoot her.

Jatavi Wendall Lee, 34, of Miami, was arrested Friday and charged with misdemeanor battery and theft.

Lee is still working at the jail, but the Monroe Sheriff’s Office has opened an internal affairs investigation on the incident, said agency spokesman Adam Linhardt.

According to Miami Gardens police, Lee was picking up from day care a child he has with his ex-girlfriend when he ran into her and her new boyfriend.

“Lee became upset and slapped the woman on the face,” Linhardt said. “He then followed the victim and her new boyfriend to a gas station where he removed her license plate from her vehicle and threatened to shoot both of them. He did not display a firearm when making the threat.”

A Miami Gardens police officer contacted Lee, who admitted to arguing with the woman and also to removing the license plate because he stated it belonged to him. But he denied hitting her or threatening to shoot anyone.

Lee, who was hired Feb. 13, 2017, earns a salary of $50,210.

This story was originally published April 10, 2018 at 4:03 PM with the headline "A jail deputy slaps his child’s mom — and ends up arrested, cops say."