Destin
CRIME & SAFETY
19 alleged drug traffickers arrested in joint operation among Northwest Florida law enforcement agencies
NORTHWEST FLORIDA (WKRG) — 19 alleged drug traffickers operating in Fort Walton Beach have been arrested after a joint operation among Northwest Florida law enforcement agencies. “Together we are taking criminals off the streets, seizing huge quantities of deadly fentanyl and other lethal drugs,” Florida Department of Law Enforcement Deputy Commissioner Vaden Pollard said. In […]
Man who threatened Gov. DeSantis arrested after 8-hour SWAT standoff
CRESTVIEW, Florida — A man who threatened Gov. Ron DeSantis and other officials was arrested after an eight-hour standoff with SWAT teams on Thursday. Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office deputies arrived at a home on Barbarree Drive around 6:40 a.m. to serve a felony warrant on 49-year-old Michael Pechacek, of Crestview, Florida. Pechacek was wanted for making written threats to kill or do bodily injury and using a two-way communication device to commit a felony, according to the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office.
Okaloosa sheriff candidates face off in forum on key issues: Training, Opioids, Community Trust & more
The race for Okaloosa County Sheriff was underway last Thursday as the three candidates vying for the position engaged in a comprehensive forum hosted by the Greater Chamber of Fort Walton Beach and the Emerald Coast Association of Realtors. Incumbent Sheriff Eric Aden, seeking reelection, faced challengers Ronald Livingston and...
Grand jury indicts Niceville man in classified info leak case
NICEVILLE, Fla.—A local Air Force veteran has been arrested for allegedly disclosing sensitive information related to national defense, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida (USAO) has announced. According to the USAO, Paul J. Freeman, 68, of Niceville, was indicted by a federal grand jury...
Crash shuts down westbound lanes of Highway 98 in Santa Rosa Beach
WALTON COUNTY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - Drivers may see a traffic delay on a busy highway in Walton County. The Walton County Sheriff’s Office reports that westbound lanes of Highway 98, near Musset Bayou in Santa Rosa Beach, are shut down due to a traffic crash. They say the crash...
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