ST. FRANCISVILLE - A West Feliciana Parish Sheriff's deputy accused of using racial slurs quit amid an investigation into the incident.

Shane Lofton has only been with the department for less than a year. He was arrested last week on battery charges in Avoyelles Parish, after he allegedly threatened an off-duty deputy's life at the end of September.

The West Feliciana Parish Sheriff's Office said it cleared the deputy of using the "n" word during a traffic stop recently because he passed a polygraph test. However, the department didn't say whether it's the policy to clear other suspects arrested for crimes if they pass polygraph tests.

Polygraph tests, which are more commonly known as lie detector tests, are not admissible in court.