Fivay High Resource Officer Charged in Stalking Case

NEW PORT RICHEY, FL — Fivay High School’s resource officer is out of a job and faces criminal charges after the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office says he stalked his ex-girlfriend.

According to the agency, the investigation into Russell Knieriem’s alleged actions began on Wednesday when a complaint came in from his former girlfriend. The deputy spoke with the victim around 2 p.m. and was told she and Knieriem had lived together and dated for about six years.

The relationship between the two ended in May 2016 when she moved out, an arrest report said. Ever since she moved out, the victim told deputies Knieriem sent her text messages and called her several times harassing her, the report said. The woman told deputies she asked him to stop and had his number blocked on her phone.

Once the block went in place, however, “he continued to contact the victim through emails, continuously harassing her over the last few days,” the report said.

The victim showed the emails to the deputy and also said Knieriem had driven by her home several times “causing fear in her.”

When the deputy left the interview, he spotted Knieriem driving by in his work vehicle, the arrest report noted. A short while later, the victim received messages from Knieriem asking if he was going to get into trouble, the report said.

Knieriem was ultimately charged with stalking.

Knieriem was hired by the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office in March 1999. He became a school resource officer in December 2014 and was assigned to Fivay High School until his termination Wednesday night, the sheriff’s office said.

Booking photo courtesy of the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office