Former Flomaton Police Department chief set free by court
Published 12:44 am Saturday, October 6, 2012
A former Flomaton police chief who had been facing felony charges has left a Pensacola, Fla., courtroom a free man after appearing before a circuit court judge.
Geoff McGraw pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge and was ordered to pay court costs and restitution in the case settled before Judge Michael Allen in a Florida courtroom Friday afternoon.
McGraw, who served as Flomaton’s police chief for just more than a year, had been facing third-degree felony charges of kidnapping and false imprisonment in connection with a case in February alleging he apprehended a suspect in Florida on an Alabama warrant.
According to Florida court officials, McGraw entered a no contest plea to officials on Thursday with a completion of the case on Friday.
An investigation conducted by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement lead to McGraw’s arrest earlier this year. According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement an investigation into the charges against McGraw was launched in August 2011 after information was received that he arrested Ronald Adam Barrow on an outstanding warrant in Alabama.
Officials with the FDLE said “the arrest of Barrow took place in Florida, where McGraw does not have jurisdiction to make arrests.” FDLE and state’s attorney’s office officials said the confirmation of that information was “used to secure an arrest warrant for McGraw.”
McGraw was fired from his post as police chief after the arrest. His successor, Daniel Thompson, resigned in August amid a criminal investigation.