WALTON COUNTY, Fla. — The Office of the State Attorney for the First Judicial Circuit has found that law enforcement officers were justified in returning fire at the suspect in an alleged Walton County convenience store robbery during a high-speed pursuit, the State Attorney’s Office has announced.
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According to its statement, the Office of the State Attorney reviewed the June 18, 2022, shooting of Dallas Anthony Francis by law enforcement officers.
After reviewing the evidence presented by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, including video recordings, witness statements, photographs, and local media reports, the Office of the State Attorney found that “the law enforcement officers who discharged their firearms during the attempted arrest and high-speed vehicle pursuit of a dangerous suspect acted reasonably based on a well-founded fear for the safety of others and their own lives.”
The Office of the State Attorney concluded the shooting of Dallas Anthony Francis by law enforcement officers in the lawful performance of their duties was a justified use of deadly force.
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“This Office finds no probable cause exists to legally sustain any criminal charges against any officer involved in this incident.”
The review was conducted by Gregory Anchors, Okaloosa County Deputy Chief Assistant on behalf of Ginger Bowden Madden, State Attorney for the First Judicial Circuit of Florida.
Francis was a suspect in an alleged robbery of a Miramar Beach Circle K, and he reportedly shot his firearm multiple times at pursuing law enforcement officers. The law enforcement agencies involved included the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, DeFuniak Springs Police Department, Florida High Patrol, and Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.
Francis was arrested and charged with five counts of Attempted Second-Degree Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer; five counts of Aggravated Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer; three counts of Shooting at, into, or, Within an Occupied Vehicle; one count of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony; one count of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon in Another State; and one count of Grand Theft (Over $20,000 but less than $100,000).
