POMPANO BEACH, Fla. – A Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office deputy who was arrested Thursday in Pompano Beach appeared in bond court Friday.
Terrance Dion Chester, 28, who is accused of attacking his fiancée during a violent confrontation that was captured on surveillance video, was ordered held on a $90,000 bond, which he has since posted.
If he posts bond, he will be placed on house arrest with a GPS monitor and is not allowed to possess any weapons or have contact with the victim.
According to an arrest report from the Broward Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a battery call at a home on Wednesday after a 911 caller reported “a female was getting hit by a male with a gun.” The caller said the woman had been “dragged inside” the residence by a man later identified as Chester.
When deputies arrived, they said Chester was wearing his full MDSO road patrol uniform.
While standing to his left, deputies said they saw the top frame of a holstered pistol in the front of his waistband.
They said that as they gave him verbal commands, Chester used his right hand to reach for the gun while it was still holstered, but he was safely detained moments later.
Deputies removed a black Glock handgun from his waistband, which they said had a magazine loaded with 15 federal premium hollow-point rounds.
The victim, who shares a 2-year-old child with Chester and has been engaged to him for five years, told deputies the argument began inside their apartment over financial issues, the report stated.
The victim said she had placed her cellphone on the bed after Chester asked her to reimburse him for bills he had previously paid, according to deputies.
Deputies said as the victim walked away from the home, Chester followed her, grabbing the phone and attempting to return it.
As the argument escalated outside in a parking lot, Chester “suddenly struck the victim in her head area,” according to the report.
He then “grabbed her by the hair and began to forcibly drag her against her will” back toward the home, the report stated.
Once inside, deputies said Chester let go of the victim. They said she grabbed their child and exited the home a second time, remaining outside until deputies arrived.
Investigators said surveillance footage showed the victim walking away when Chester quickly approached, punched her in the head with his right hand, then grabbed the back of her head with his left hand before delivering another punch to her face.
While forcibly trying to move her, the report states Chester “paused, looked to his right, and rapidly drew his pistol from a concealed position inside his waistband.”
He then held the gun next to his right leg, pointing it toward the ground while looking away from her, authorities said.
Although the victim did not have visible bruising or injuries, deputies noted her hair was sticking up in the back, and she had grass on the right side of her clothing.
Investigators said Chester declined to speak with detectives after being read his Miranda rights.
A 911 caller showed spoke to dispatchers with fear after witnessing the alleged attack.
“There is a woman who is being beat by somebody and he has a gun I don’t know it that is her boyfriend or what ,” the caller stated. “He dragged her back inside but she is not okay.”
Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz confirmed Chester’s employment with the agency, saying he has been with MDSO for five years and has since been relieved of duty.
“I am deeply troubled and angered by the arrest of one of my deputies on serious domestic-related charges,” Cordero-Stutz said in a statement. “This conduct is completely unacceptable and stands in direct violation of our values and the law. I want to make it absolutely clear: no one is above the law. The safety and well-being of victims will always take priority, and any member of this agency who violates the trust of this community or their oath of service will be held fully accountable. There is no place for violence in this profession or in our homes.”
Chester faces charges of kidnapping while inflicting bodily harm or terrorizing a victim, battery/domestic violence, and improper exhibition of a firearm.