By By ROBERT BLANKENSHIP
Advance Managing Editor
The Escambia County Sheriff's Office is going Hollywood.
A video submitted by the law enforcement office and the Brewton Police Department was recently named the grand prize winners of REAL TV's first ever Sheriff's Video Contest.
The footage judged was required to be taped from a cruisers in-car camera, surveillance camera or footage from undercover operations.
The winning footage featured undercover work. The video shows Brewton Police Officer Sam Peacock in a life and death struggle with a drug dealer while inside a truck. The men fought for possession of two guns and several rounds were fired. Peacock survived the ordeal and went on to win an award for bravery.
Not only did the two agencies get a spot for their footage to be aired on national television, but they will also split $6,000 in gift certificates from Semco which supplies police surveillance equipment to law enforcement agencies.
Sheriff Tim Hawsey saw the footage and could understand why it won the contest.
Peacock, who at the time was working with the drug task force, was presented an annual award given by Skippy White for bravery.
The Sheriff's Department has not received any official notification of winning the video contest.
The episode featuring the local agencies ran Friday, Sept. 29 on WPMI-TV, NBC out of Mobile-Pensacola at 2:30 a.m. It also ran in Brewton on WJTC-TV, UPN at 6:30 a.m.
The show broadcasts nationwide video, captured by news organizations and home video users from all over the world, who were present to document a dramatic, or sometimes amusing, incidents that occur in the midst of everyday life.
In addition to the Escambia Sheriff's Office and Brewton Police Department, the Montgomery Police Department also submitted award-winning footage and won $2,500 in gift certificates.