A Spartanburg County Sheriff’s deputy arrested earlier this month for allegedly threatening his wife, was found not guilty Wednesday after she refused to testify against him.

Jeffrey Wayne Strickland, 35, 266 Austin Road, Union, was found not guilty of criminal domestic violence during a bench trial before Union County Magistrate Jimmy Crocker Wednesday morning. Strickland’s wife had accused him of threatening her with bodily harm on several occasions. Those accusations led to his arrest on June 3.

Crocker said he found Strickland not guilty after his wife invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and declined to take the witness stand. He said the prosecution had no other evidence against Strickland other than the wife’s testimony and when she refused to testify there was no longer a case against him.

“There was no other evidence other than her saying he threatened her,” Crocker said. “When she refused to take the stand the state couldn’t provide anything else. It was lack of evidence.”

Strickland’s arrest was announced by Union County Sheriff David Taylor and Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Chuck Wright during a June 3 press conference at the Union County Courthouse.

At the time of his arrest, Strickland was placed on administrative leave by Wright pending the outcome of legal proceedings. Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Tony Ivey said Friday that upon his acquittal, Strickland was take off administrative leave and will return to work Monday.