Walton County Sheriff's Office, Florida

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A little kindness goes a long way. On a Wednesday in June, deputies patrolling in District 2 drove up on a tree blocking...
08/31/2026

A little kindness goes a long way.

On a Wednesday in June, deputies patrolling in District 2 drove up on a tree blocking a lane of County Road 3280.

Within minutes, James Ward and Hunter Underwood stopped, got out, and began using their truck and equipment to quickly pull the tree out of the roadway.

It may seem like a small thing, but it wasn't to the folks on the road that day.

James. Hunter. Thank you. We need more people like you.

We were up and at 'em early this morning to talk about two very important programs offered at the Walton County Sheriff'...
08/31/2026

We were up and at 'em early this morning to talk about two very important programs offered at the Walton County Sheriff's Office.

Lieutenant Tabitha Lecuyer stopped by WJHG Newschannel 7 Today this morning to help spread the word about the programs designed to protect some of the most vulnerable members of our community.

The first is Project Lifesaver. This program supports individuals who are living with Alzheimer’s, dementia, autism, or other cognitive conditions that may cause them to wander. Participants wear a small transmitter that helps deputies locate them quickly if they go missing. Families can learn more or start the enrollment process at waltonso.org/community-programs/project-lifesaver.

The second is the SAFE Program. SAFE stands for Safety, Awareness, and Follow-up Education. This program helps deputies build connections with residents who may need extra support during emergencies or stressful encounters. Families and caregivers can register a loved one so deputies have important information ahead of time, helping us respond in the safest and most understanding way possible. Details and registration can be found at waltonso.org/community-programs/safe-program.

We are grateful to WJHG-TV for giving us the chance to share these programs with our community.

If you have a loved one who could benefit from either program, we encourage you to reach out. Our goal is simple: help keep every resident safe and supported.

08/30/2026

A glimpse into a DUI Task Force Friday night.

A proactive Task Force was put into action in the south end of Walton County yesterday evening.

The focus was on getting drunk drivers off the road and traffic enforcement for sp*eding and reckless driving along Highway 98.

If you were out late, you likely saw the increased presence in Santa Rosa Beach and Miramar Beach.

TRAFFIC CRASH SHUTS DOWN STATE HIGHWAY 83 AT COUNTY HIGHWAY 192 Walton County Sheriff's Office and Walton County Fire Re...
08/27/2026

TRAFFIC CRASH SHUTS DOWN STATE HIGHWAY 83 AT COUNTY HIGHWAY 192

Walton County Sheriff's Office and Walton County Fire Rescue, Florida are on scene of a traffic crash with injuries that is currently blocking State Highway 83 at the intersection of County Highway 192.

Drivers are asked to use extreme caution in the area and seek alternate routes if possible.

Florida Highway Patrol has been notified and is responding.

08/27/2026

Wrong-way DUI driver arrested after deputies hit her vehicle twice to force her off the roadway.

Just before midnight Wednesday, a Sergeant responded to a wrong-way driver on U.S. Highway 98 in "the stretch".

Deputies caught up to the vehicle and conducted a PIT, knocking the SUV off the roadway. The driver recovered and tried to re-enter the roadway, and deputies again made contact with the vehicle, disabling it and blocking it from continuing.

The driver, a 65-year-old Deatsville, Alabama, resident, was checked out by EMS and cleared. She was arrested for DUI and fleeing and eluding.

HAPPENING NOW IN NORTHERN WALTON COUNTY: Walton County Sheriff's Office and Florala Police Department are in the area of...
08/26/2026

HAPPENING NOW IN NORTHERN WALTON COUNTY: Walton County Sheriff's Office and Florala Police Department are in the area of County Highway 2 and County Highway 147 West following a pursuit involving a stolen vehicle.

After jumping out of the stolen SUV, the suspect, Zachary DeWayne Talbot, 44, of Paxton, was quickly located by Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office K9 "Beau", hiding under a shed near the Children's Home Community Center.

Florida Highway Patrol and Walton Correctional K-9 Teams also responded to the area to assist in the search.

Talbot is being transported to Walton County Jail, charged with grand theft auto. The stolen SUV is being towed back to Alabama to be returned to the owner.

SUSPICIOUS INCIDENT LEADS TO ARREST OF JACKSONVILLE MAN FOR TRESPASSING ON SCHOOL PROPERTY, LOITERING AND PROWLINGWALTON...
08/26/2026

SUSPICIOUS INCIDENT LEADS TO ARREST OF JACKSONVILLE MAN FOR TRESPASSING ON SCHOOL PROPERTY, LOITERING AND PROWLING

WALTON COUNTY, Fla - A Jacksonville man has been arrested after trespassing on Dune Lakes Elementary School property the start of school Wednesday morning.

Just before 7:30 am, the School Resource Deputy at Dune Lakes Elementary asked for assistance from patrol after a white man wearing a black backpack on a scooter went through the car line.

He was immediately stopped by school employees and told them he was trying to get lunch money to his son. They directed him to the front office, but he continued to ride around inside the campus gates before being stopped again. He told a different employee, "his wife already took care of it", but then asked a separate employee where the front office was.

Deputies located the individual by the pickleball courts behind the school. He initially gave deputies a false name, but was later identified as Matthew Ross Patania, 51, of Jacksonville, Florida.

Our agency confirmed Patania does not have a son at the school and is not currently married.

Patania was arrested for loitering and prowling, trespassing on school property, and giving a false name to a law enforcement officer (obstruction).

He was transported to the Walton County Jail without incident. Our agency is continuing our investigation.

UPDATE: Let's SHELL-I-BRATE! LEELAND IS HOME!Big thanks to MyFWC Florida Fish and Wildlife for locating the tortoise and...
08/24/2026

UPDATE: Let's SHELL-I-BRATE! LEELAND IS HOME!

Big thanks to MyFWC Florida Fish and Wildlife for locating the tortoise and bringing him back to his fam!
______________

Freeport, this is an off-i-shell to be on the lookout.

Leland, a Sulcata tortoise, has decided to go on an unauthorized adventure in search of summer love.

He slipped out of his yard on Oakcrest Drive in Freeport on August 18th and has reportedly been seen cruising down County Road 3280 like he "had to p*e" or "was running out of gas". All the usual excuses, I'm sure.

Leland is 11-years-old and weighs more than 75 pounds.

Despite being a tortoise, he can actually move pretty quickly. Kinda like the weekend does.

Sulcata tortoises can wander long distances, and it is their mating season, so he may be looking for love in all the wrong places. We won't pretend we don't know what that's like. 😅

If you see him, please do not attempt a high-sp*ed chase. Just call us and we can come scoop up this love-drunk escape artist. Let us help get him back home where he belongs.

If you spot Leland, the runaway tank, please give us a call so we can help the owner shell-ebrate his return at (850)-892-8111. Okay, we're done with the puns. For now.

Thank you, Florida Sheriffs Association, for continuing to help us keep this cold case in the spotlight. Help us find wh...
08/24/2026

Thank you, Florida Sheriffs Association, for continuing to help us keep this cold case in the spotlight.

Help us find who killed Manuel Ruiz.

08/20/2026

Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson takes YOUR questions LIVE during our Sheriff LIVE Q&A Session!

Address

10 Sheriff Circle
DeFuniak Springs, FL
32433

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