Keys deputy hits women, pulls knife on man after watching Stanley Cup Final: MCSO
A Florida Keys deputy found himself behind bars Wednesday after authorities say he assaulted his girlfriend, hit a man and woman who tried to intervene then chased them down after claiming the couple stole his police badge.
Monroe County Sheriff’s Deputy Nicholas Joseph Galbo, 42, has worked with the agency for the last five years.
Around 1 a.m., Galbo was drinking with his girlfriend in Key West after watching the Florida Panthers win their second Stanley Cup, police said.
Walking on Simonton Street, a husband and wife saw Galbo hitting his girlfriend and yelling, “Get your f****** shoes right now!”, an arrest report read. The wife tried to stop Galbo, but then he put his hands around her throat.
Shortly after being choked, the woman picked up what looked to be a deputy’s badge from the ground. She quickly gave it to a random person on the street and told them to report what happened.
The couple tried to leave, but Galbo became enraged and followed them to their house, with his girlfriend in tow, demanding that they return his badge, which they no longer had, the report read. Their house was less than 500 feet from where the fight began.
At the gate into their home, Galbo caught up and put his hands on the woman’s throat, chest and shoulders. The husband intervened and started fighting Galbo. Eventually, they were able to get into their home.
Galbo and his girlfriend stuck around as he kept demanding his badge, kicking the homeowners’ door to retrieve it, the report read. The husband again confronted him, trying to explain they didn’t have it, but Galbo instead pulled out a pocket knife and started waving it.
Key West police officers were called, and Galbo was eventually arrested. There were no serious injuries reported.
He and his girlfriend denied any physical fight between them. However, as the girlfriend was telling the officer those claims, a random white minivan pulled up and the passenger, unprompted, told him that they saw Galbo put his hands on his girlfriend.
Galbo was charged with two counts of battery and one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Galbo was released Wednesday at 4:20 p.m., Monroe County Sheriff’s Office records show.
“I have notified Deputy Galbo that I intend to terminate his employment pending a pre-termination hearing,” said Sheriff Rick Ramsay. “I am committed to keeping this community informed of significant events that occur in this agency, good and bad.”
This story was originally published June 18, 2025 at 9:37 PM with the headline "Keys deputy hits women, pulls knife on man after watching Stanley Cup Final: MCSO."
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