Recent Dog Incidents and the Sheriffs Office

[Poppaj]

When I was a deputy I was often frustrated with the slowness of the process, but over the years I learned patience.

You have the experience and insight we lack when it comes to matters concerning WCSO so I sincerely hope you are correct in asking for patience. Let's all hope they are actually conducting a thorough investigation and are gathering the evidence to present a solid case against this man.

 

[Misty]

poppaj...the Sheriff will be happy to answer your questions. All you have to do is...

From WCSO

"YOU'VE GOT QUESTIONS, HE'S GOT ANSWERS

Have questions for Sheriff Michael Adkinson? Have a smartphone? Download the Periscope App and follow the Walton County Sheriff's Office as Sheriff Michael Adkinson goes live to answer YOUR questions on Periscope. He will talk everything from Ferguson to issues right here in Walton County. Post your questions in the comments below or just download the app and use the "Chat" feature to ask questions LIVE during our session with the Sheriff. A limited number of questions will be answered, but we hope to continue the real time question and answer on Periscope in the future."

 

[John G]

While your on his Periscope App, you can also ask about the large amount of deputy turn over this past year.

Some deputies say that the "emperor has no clothes", and like the fable, this may be true. Too busy being a politician.

This horrible incident (dog attack), is just one example of things very poorly handled by this administration. There are others as well, but they never make it to the public eye for consumption. That's why WCSO has so many high ranking and high paid staff that sit up in DeFuniak and run damage control.

They need to be out on the streets patrolling and dealing with crime, like this dog attack!

 

[John G]

Felony charges filed in dog fight attack on pastor

NW FL Daily must have an inside source to have obtained this so quickly...

wink wink Tom...

Posted Dec. 30, 2015 at 12:56 PM
Updated at 1:07 PM

The man who broke the jaw of popular South Walton pastor Tom Guido with a punch to the face has been charged with felony battery.

County Judge David Green signed a warrant late Tuesday afternoon for the arrest of Torey Geile, according to Greg Anchors, chief assistant state attorney for Walton County.Geile, a roofing contractor and engineer with Destin Roofing Inc., had retained counsel and turned himself in at about 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to an official at the Walton County Jail.

He could not be reached for comment Wednesday prior to being placed into custody.Green had waited a full week before signing the arrest warrant. He wanted to know Guido was willing to proceed with pressing charges, Anchors said.

As the case hung in limbo, a handful of residents of the subdivision where the pastor and Geile’s family walk their dogs called the Daily News to express concerns about the incident that led ultimately to the arrest.

All of them said Geile was the clear aggressor in the dog fight dispute that resulted in a single devastating punch being thrown to Guido’s face.

Both Anchors and Sheriff Michael Adkinson said Wednesday it was clear to them by the time the warrant was actually signed that charges against Geile were justified.

“Whatever explanation he had for hitting (Guido), he wasn’t justified under the circumstances,” Anchors said.

Guido, pastor of Resurrection Catholic Church in Miramar Beach, and neighbor Edward Fincke were walking their dogs early Dec. 19 when two big dogs, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, belonging to the Geiles ran up on them.

Geile’s wife had been walking the dogs and they got loose when she let go of their leashes, reports said.

The woman and Guido were trying to pull the Ridgebacks off the pastor’s aging Labrador Retriever when Geile ran up and delivered what was described by one witness as a “haymaker.”

Guido told a 911 dispatcher after the punch was thrown that he’d been “cold cocked.”

“While there was a high level of confusion, we do not believe Mr. Geile used prudent judgment given the totality of the circumstances,” Adkinson said Wednesday. “We believe there was sufficient time for him to slow down and make a better decision.”Guido suffered a broken jaw severe enough that he had to be hospitalized.

 

[John G]

“While there was a high level of confusion, we do not believe Mr. Geile used prudent judgment given the totality of the circumstances,” Adkinson said Wednesday. “We believe there was sufficient time for him to slow down and make a better decision.”

Apparently this was obvious to almost everyone except the Sheriff...

 

[Misty]

You have the experience and insight we lack when it comes to matters concerning WCSO so I sincerely hope you are correct in asking for patience. Let's all hope they are actually conducting a thorough investigation and are gathering the evidence to present a solid case against this man.

According to the link posted by John G the delay in the warrant was by Judge Green himself who wanted to make sure the victim wanted to proceed with prosecution. Obviously the evidence is solid....now lets hope he is convicted. If so, he won't be carrying guns anymore!!

 

[Poppaj]

According to the link posted by John G the delay in the warrant was by Judge Green himself who wanted to make sure the victim would prosecute. Obviously the evidence is solid....now lets hope he is convicted. If so, he won't be carrying guns anymore!!

Heavy sarcasm - yes, because the NRA has helped make it so hard for a convicted felon to get a gun in this country. It's not like just "anybody" can buy a weapon from an individual or a gun show.

 

[John G]

Let's be clear about the circumstances, at least when it comes to my opinion on this.

1) An arrest should have been effected at the scene on the day of the incident! It was a Felony Battery with serious bodily injury. IMO, and from what others have posted, an arrest should have been made and the court system (to include the State Attorney) could have sorted it out. Had that happened, no drama our outcry from the community. Why no arrest was made on scene is unknown, outside of silly quotes from the sheriff about the "fur flying..."

2) Judge David Green did not sign the warrant after it was approved by the State Attorney. This is another area of contention and the judge definitely should explain his logic / reason for this. It's obvious the State wanted to push the arrest through and eliminate any liability they may have for not taking action as they submitted the warrant.

The suspect was allowed to turn himself in this morning and a bond had already been set. He was in and out quickly.

It is situations like this, where arrests should be made on scene and then judge gets the Christmas Spirit and muddies up the waters more, that have people wonder "who does this guy know to not be arrested?"

Add that to silly on scene arrests like that of a private property owners on the beach for slapping a cell phone out of tourists hands and its no wonder our Sheriffs Administration gets criticized.

 

[DebraJ]

Latest update to NWF Daily News shows mugshot

 

[Brogen seventwo]

It's just too bad any of this had to happen...