ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. — A jury has acquitted a former St. Lucie County sheriff's deputy previously charged with sexual assault and battery while on duty.
Thomas Johnson was arrested in 2019.
He had been out on bond and was on leave without pay from the sheriff's office until he was let go by the department earlier this year.
A sheriff's spokesman said Johnson was let go because he did not undertake mandatory retraining as required by state law.
Johnson's attorney told WPTV that her client had always maintained his innocence and that the accuser had a reputation for untruthfulness.
The former deputy's acquittal occurred on Friday after a week-long trial.
