News & Updates

Update: The victim of a fatal motorcycle accident on Highway 98 Saturday has been identified as 20 year old Dillon Westberry of Destin. The Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office is investigating a motorcycle accident today that claimed the life of a 20 year old Destin...

ARREST REPORT The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office today arrested a Fort Walton Beach woman in connection with the shooting death of her five month old son. 30-year old Maria Rodriguez-Barnes is charged with first degree premeditated murder. Deputies were called to...

In an effort to better protect our citizens and our deputies from non-essential face to face interactions during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s office is implementing web based on-line and telephone reporting for many lower level, non-violent...

The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office has demonstrated its ongoing commitment to excellence, earning its second certificate of advanced accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. The designation is reserved for agencies which can...

In an effort to enhance efforts to protect against COVID-19, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office announces a number of new measures to attempt to limit potential public and staff exposure. These protocols will remain in effect until further notice.  Deputies are...

A car hit a pedestrian on Highway 98 in Destin early this morning, then left the scene without stopping. The 22-year old victim was taken to Fort Walton Beach Medical Center for treatment of significant but non-life-threatening injuries. A friend of the victim says...

ARREST REPORTS A traffic stop on a car with an expired registration led to the arrests of two men on charges of trafficking in heroin, and more. A third person, 28-year old Jessica Foster, was also arrested. An Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office deputy pulled over the...

ARREST REPORT A traffic stop on a driver who nearly ran a stop sign Sunday led to the confiscation of baggies of heroin, methamphetamine, and other narcotics. The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office has charged 41-year old Craig Calloway of Crestview with two counts of...

ARREST REPORT An Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office deputy responding to a call of a reckless driver and possible traffic crash March 15th says a man confronted him holding a rifle and shouting obscenities. An OCSO deputy spotted a car matching the suspect vehicles’...

The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office applied for and has received a traffic grant through the Florida Department of Transportation to enhance patrols focusing on speeders and aggressive drivers. Since 2016, Okaloosa County has had nearly 25,000 traffic crashes with...

Two men out of jail on bond on separate pending narcotics trafficking cases have been arrested again – for trafficking in narcotics. The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office arrested 30-year old Stephen Scott Wilson and 30-year old Kenneth Charles Campbell Sr. on Okaloosa...

ARREST REPORT A Fort Walton Beach man wanted on a charge of manslaughter by culpable negligence is now in the Okaloosa County Jail after being picked up recently in St. Tammany Parish Louisiana. Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office deputies say 39-year old Albert Diaz...

The pilot and passenger aboard a Beech Bonanza aircraft that went down short of the Destin Executive Airport runway Sunday morning are identified as a father and son from Kansas who were flying into the Destin area for vacation. 47-year old Jason Dougherty of Garden...

Two men and their Labrador retriever survived without a scratch after their small aircraft reportedly developed engine problems and went down in a tree short of the Destin Airport runway this morning. First responders were called to a home on Planet Drive in Destin...

A pedestrian believed to be in his mid-twenties was struck and killed while attempting to cross Highway 98 (Harbor Boulevard) in Destin last night. Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office deputies were called to the area near 172 Harbor Boulevard around 6:15 p.m. Friday. The...

ARREST REPORT A Mobile Alabama man has been arrested in connection with an Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office undercover operation targeting individuals seeking sexual encounters with children. 28-year old Dominique Latrell Gray of Good Pay Street is charged with using...

ARREST REPORT A Fort Walton Beach man with at least ten former felony convictions is now facing another seven felony charges following a traffic stop in Crestview early this morning. An Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office deputy attempted a traffic stop on 35-year old...

ARREST REPORT A man who climbed onto a home’s rooftop near Fort Walton Beach and began stomping around ultimately had to be pepper sprayed and tased to get him to comply with Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office deputies Tuesday afternoon. 25-year old Daniel Forgione is...

ARREST REPORT A Defuniak Springs man used an infant as a shield against law enforcement officers while refusing to obey commands following a traffic stop on Interstate 10 Monday night. 31-year old Zachary Taylor McKinney is charged with battery on a law enforcement...

A man working on the roof of a sixteen story condominium in Destin died after falling off the top of the structure Saturday afternoon. The 38-year old victim was part of a roofing crew working on top of Silver Shells condominiums at 15300 Emerald Coast Parkway....