Trazell McLeod was eight months into his job as a Broward County sheriff’s deputy when he groped a male security guard’s genitals, threatening him with arrest if he did not have sex with him on a regular basis, which led to the deputy’s termination and arrest on extortion charges.
On Tuesday, two months after his arrest, he was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The 20-year-old man had pleaded not guilty to the charges, but had been informed he would not be given the opportunity to appeal the termination.
After all, he was still on probation, having been hired in February when he groped the security guard outside an art gallery on October 16, 2016.
Had he only waited another four months where he would have been granted full Blue Privilege status, things may have turned out differently.
But he evidently could not control himself around the security guard, who was only trying to do his job.
“You gonna have to give me this,” he told the guard as he had him pressed against the wall and groped his genitals, accusing him of possessing crack cocaine and trying to solicit prostitutes, allegations the guard denied.
He then told the guard he wanted regular sex from him.
“You’re going to have to fuck me. I’m not only talking about one time — on a consistent basis,” he said, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
McLeod ordered the guard into a security room, then walked to his patrol car to retrieve something, which was when the guard escaped out the window, hiding behind some bushes until his wife picked him up.
But when they drove home, McLeod’s patrol car was in their driveway, so the couple kept driving and ended up staying in a hotel room.
The man filed a complaint against McLeod the following day, which led to his termination four days later on October 20.
He was then arrested on November 10 on charges of extortion by threat, unlawful compensation, official misconduct, battery and tampering with or fabricating evidence because he claimed he found crack cocaine on the ground as he frisked the guard and groped his genitals.
