Kathy Leigh Berkowitz
The Ledger, Lakeland, Fla.
LAKELAND, Fla. — A Polk County Fire Rescue paramedic was arrested on domestic violence charges Friday.
According to Polk County Sheriff’s Office reports, 23-year-old Daniel Murphy was arrested on domestic battery, petit theft and prescription drug possession charges.
The arrest came after Murphy got into an argument with his girlfriend of seven months at their Lakeland home, in which she confronted Murphy about his alleged infidelity, according to a PCSO media release.
Deputies say Murphy left, but later returned when his girlfriend was talking on her phone to a friend.
The girlfriend told deputies that he lunged at her, grabbed her right arm, took her cellphone and threw it against the wall, according to Murphy’s arrest affidavit.
The person she was talking to on the phone then called the sheriff’s office to report the matter.
Deputies reported that the girlfriend had bruising on her arm.
By the time deputies arrived, Murphy had fled the residence, but he also called the sheriff’s office and said he was the victim of an aggravated assault by his girlfriend that had occurred several hours earlier.
During the detective’s interview with Murphy, it was discovered he had two prescription drugs, including Haloperidol and Amidate Etomidate, several IV lines and needles, saline bags and syringes.
Murphy admitted he took the items from work and kept them, in spite of it being against PCFR policy to do so, according to reports.
When the detective interviewed Murphy’s girlfriend, she told him about another incident in which she had passed out from drinking too much and finding an IV in her arm when she awoke.
The IV appeared to be drawing blood out of her arm, she said.
The girlfriend told the detective that one of Murphy’s previous girlfriends had told her that Murphy often asked if he could draw her blood.
Murphy denied that when the detective asked him about it, according to the arrest affidavit, but added that he has drawn people’s blood before for “an art project for a friend.”
Murphy was transported to the Polk County Jail.
Polk Fire Rescue is in the process of terminating Murphy’s employment, according to PCFR spokesperson Mianne Nelson. Murphy was hired on Feb. 25, 2019, and was a full-time paramedic, paid $13.42 an hour.
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©2020 The Ledger (Lakeland, Fla.)