Miami Gardens police officer relieved of duty, accused of threatening woman with gun and violating court order

A former Miami Gardens police officer is facing multiple felony charges after authorities alleged he violated a temporary injunction stemming from a domestic violence incident in Opa-locka.

Officer Kolei McKinney was relieved of duty last week, according to the Miami Gardens Police Department. He surrendered to Opa-locka police on Thursday after being accused of violating a temporary injunction involving the alleged victim in the case.

During McKinney's first court appearance, Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mindy Glazer read the charges against him, which include aggravated assault with a deadly firearm, use of a firearm during the commission of a felony, tampering with a victim and improper exhibition of a weapon.

The charges stem from an incident on July 17. According to the arrest report, an argument between McKinney and a woman he had been seeing romantically escalated and became physical. The victim told investigators she noticed McKinney driving erratically alongside her vehicle before they pulled over and McKinney entered her car.

The report states that when the woman questioned McKinney, he responded, "I can't f-ing take this no more; I'm just going to end this." The victim told investigators that McKinney then removed a handgun from his waistband, pointed it and waved it toward the windshield while continuing to threaten her.

The victim reported the incident to police four days later, and a temporary stay-away order was issued against McKinney. Prosecutors said during the court hearing that McKinney contacted the woman by phone on July 22 despite the injunction. Judge Glazer noted that the phone call constituted a violation of the order, and the arrest report states McKinney asked the woman to recant her allegations of abuse.

McKinney was granted a $6,000 bond. The Miami Gardens Police Department stated he was ordered to turn in his department-issued gun and badge last week. A request for comment sent to McKinney's attorney was not immediately returned.